The Arys (Kazakh: Арыс) is a river of southern Kazakhstan and a tributary of the Syr Darya. The river is 378 kilometres (235 mi) long, covering a basin area of 14,900 square kilometres (5,800 sq mi).The river begins in the Talas Alatau ridge, and average water flow is 46.6 cubic metres per second (1,650 cu ft/s). The highest runoff is in April during snow melt, the lowest is in August. The river is used for irrigation to grow rice in the lower reaches.