Orlovka (Mamyn)

The Orlovka (), also known as Mamyn (), is a river in Mazanovsky District, Amur Oblast, Russia. It is the 4th longest tributary of the Selemdzha after the Byssa, with a length of and the second in drainage basin area, with .

The river basin includes the Garinskoye iron ore deposit, one of the largest in the Russian Far East,Китайские бизнесмены предложили вложить 9 миллиардов юаней в Гаринское месторождение железной руды - Порт Амур, 10 June 2013 as well as gold prospecting areas.Мамын, ООО — Недропользователи — НедраДВ - NEDRADV The only settlement in the river basin is Oktyabrsky, located by river Gar, the main tributary. In the past there had been other settlements by the river, such as the Slava collective farm on the left bank near the mouth, but they were abandoned.Забытая всеми Слава - Амурская правда

History The original Tungusic name of the river was replaced in 1972 under the USSR administration at the time of the renaming of geographical sites in the Russian Far East.Переименована Указом Президиума Верховного Совета РСФСР от 26 декабря 1972 г. и Постановлением Совета Министров РСФСР № 753 от 29 декабря 1972 г. (Renamed by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR of December 26, 1972 and the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR No. 753 December 29, 1972.) The name "Orlovka" honors Warrant Officer Orlov, who visited the area in 1847 to trade with the local Evenks on behalf of the Russian-American Company.Мельников А.В. Топонимический словарь Амурской области. – Благовещенск, 2009Water of Russia - Orlovka

In 1999, the Orlovsky Zakaznik (Орловский заказник), a protected area, was established in the lower basin of the river. The fauna of the state reserve includes elk, red deer, roe deer, wild boar, bear, sable, mink, lynx, otter, Oriental stork, hooded crane, mandarin duck, white-tailed eagle, osprey and greater spotted eagle.Орловский - ООПТ России

Course The Orlovka is a right tributary of the Selemdzha. It has its origin in the southern slopes of the Dzhagdy Range at the confluence of the long Left Orlovka (Left Mamyn) and long Right Orlovka (Right Mamyn) rivers. In its upper reaches the Orlovka flows with relatively moderate speed as a mountain river with some rapids among pebbles and boulders. After its confluence with the Gar, it progresses slowly southwards in a wide floodplain, meandering through swampland dotted with small lakes.Topographic map N-52; M 1: 1,000,00 It divides into branches near the area where it joins the banks of the Selemdzha, from its mouth in the Zeya. The mouths of the Orlovka are near Abaykan, downstream from the mouth of the Nora (river).Google Earth

The river basin is almost entirely within the Amur-Zeya Plateau. The climate is harsh, with long and very cold winters. In January, the average temperature sinks to . Summers are short, with an average temperature in July of . The annual precipitation in the basin ranges between and .

There is patchy distribution of permafrost in the basin, the layer being closest to the surface in river wetlands with moss cover. The river freezes in mid October and stays under ice until the end of April.

Tributaries The river has many tributaries, the longest one being the () long Gar with a basin size of , which joins the right bank of the Orlovka in its lower course. Other important ones are the long Inkan, the long Byki, the long Sartama and the long Ushmyn from the right, and the long Sokhatinaya and the long Armiya from the left.

Orlovka (Mamyn)

Bron en licentie