Malka

(Balyksu), a river in the Kabardinian-Balkar ASSR; a left tributary of the Terek River. It is 210 km long (from the source of the Kizilkol River), and drains an area of 10,000 sq km. It originates in the glaciers on the northern slope of Mount Elbrus. In its upper reaches, the Malka is a mountain river. It flows through a plain 65 km from its mouth; this stretch of the river is used for irrigation. The Malka is fed predominantly by glaciers. Flash floods occur during the warm period. The mean flow rate 28 km from the mouth is 97.8 cu m per sec. The period during which the river is icebound fluctuates: the lower course is frozen over from three days to two months. The Baksan, which contributes about 85 percent of the river’s flow, is the chief right tributary of the Malka. The city of Prokhladnyi is located on the river.