[1] The river rises in the Kyzyltas mountains, a subrange of the Kazakh Uplands and flows initially north-northwestwards for about 100 kilometres (62 mi).

The Samarkand Reservoir is constructed on the Nura downstream from the canal crossing (the dam is at 50°06′17″N 72°55′08″E / 50.10472°N 72.91889°E / 50.10472; 72.91889), providing a waterfront for the city of Temirtau.

In 1972, an acetaldehyde factory in the city of Temirtau began to discharge large quantities of mercury waste into the river.

Most of the mercury is spread in alluvial soils for a 25-kilometre (16 mi) stretch from Temirtau to the Intumak Reservoir, where most of the pollution was trapped.

Despite that, significant levels of mercury are still found as far as 70 kilometres (43 mi) downstream and during high water, contaminants are spread all over the floodplain, creating a widespread problem.