Ob-Irtysh River System

Ob-Irtysh River System, spanning 5,410 km through Russia, Kazakhstan, and China, is one of Siberia’s defining waterways. Formed by the confluence of the Ob and Irtysh rivers, it drains the world’s largest watershed into the Arctic Ocean. Vital for oil/gas transport and indigenous Khanty communities, its taiga and tundra corridors shelter migratory birds and sturgeon. Though impacted by Soviet-era dams and pollution, its seasonal ice melts sustain Arctic ecosystems. A frozen lifeline in winter, the Ob-Irtysh embodies Siberia’s harsh beauty and resource wealth.