[1] The last stretch of the river, including the lakes adjoining it, is a 175,315 ha (433,210 acres) Important Bird Area.

[2] The Kushum begins branching off the right side of the Ural river northeast of the village of Krugloozyornoye.

Its mouth is in lake Birkazan, near Zhanakala village, over 112 km (70 mi) west of the Ural river channel.

The Dongulyuk, Kirov, Pyatimar and Bitik reservoirs, as well as a network of irrigation canals were built along the Kushum river in the last half of the 20th century.

Since the dams and canals were built the natural flow was disturbed and the water of the river does not reach lake Zhaltyrkol anymore.