Laba

Laba 

a river in Krasnoiarsk Krai, RSFSR; the left tributary of the Kuban’ River. It is formed by the confluence of the Bol’shaia Laba and Malaia Laba rivers, which originate from the glaciers on the northern slope of the Glavnyi, or Vodorazdel’nyi, Range of the Greater Caucasus. The Laba and the Bol’shaia Laba together measure 347 km long; the Laba itself measures 214 km long and has a basin area of 12,500 sq km. Along its upper course the Laba is turbulent and flows through a deep canyon. In its lower course the shores slope gently and the current is calm. At the mouth there are floodplains with grassy vegetation. The Laba is fed by mixed sources (snow, glaciers, and rain). The average flow rate near the mouth is 95.7 cu m per sec. Some years the river freezes over in late December and thaws in late February or early March. The Chamlyk is its major right tributary; the Fars, its major left tributary. The Laba is used for irrigation and for floating timber. The city of Labinsk is located on the Laba. The city of Ust’-Labinsk is situated on the right shore of the Kuban’, near the mouth of the Laba.