Balkhash Lake is half salty and fresh. Lake Balkhash: photos and reviews about the holiday
Traveling along Lake Balkhash and its main tributary, the Ili River, the Russian-Kazakh expedition found out whether the lake would be able to avoid an ecological catastrophe.
Kapchagay, Bakanas, Koskumbez. The wormwood-dusty steppe overgrown with feather grass blooms late with small poppies, purple sage pins, and pink tamarisk.
Our final goal is Lake Balkhash, we will get to it through the sands, and then along the Ili River - in the local way, Ile. The Balkhash basin stretches for 600 kilometers from west to east among poor sandy-desert plains, takyrs and solonchaks. The drainless lake is divided into two parts by the Saryesik peninsula, which formed the narrow Uzynaral strait. In the western, relatively shallow part of the lake, the water is fresh, and in the eastern, deeper part, it is brackish.
The Ili-Balkhash basin is one of the most extensive lake ecosystems on the planet, with a heterogeneous topography and a variety of natural conditions. To the north and north-west of the lake is the Kazakh hilly area, adjacent to the Betpak-Dala desert - the Northern Hungry Steppe. To the south lie the sands of Saryesik-Atyrau and Taukum. In the south and southeast - the Kazakhstan-Dzhungar mountain region, the ridges of the Trans-Ili and Dzhungar Alatau, the Chu-Ili mountains - heavily destroyed, with flat tops.
Expeditions of Schrenk, Semenov Tien-Shansky, Przhevalsky passed here. In 1903, the future head of the Geographical Society of the USSR Lev Semenovich Berg visited Balkhash.
“In the middle of the Ili lowland, I felt myself in a completely different, peculiar climatic plant zone,” wrote Petr Petrovich Semenov Tien-Shansky. - Flora and fauna had a completely unfamiliar character to me. A lot of low and high bushes and grasses appeared before me.
Akhan Myrzakhmetov, Senior Researcher, Laboratory water resources Institute of Geography of Kazakhstan, waiting for us at night near the swampy shore Or in a cauldron beaten by time. Every summer, hydrologists conduct routine research here. Achan pulls the starter, and the boat, with its nose up, roars along the black river, densely overgrown with reeds.
Or originates in the Central Tien Shan from the confluence of the Tekes and Kunges rivers. Numerous rivers and streams flowing from the slopes of the Dzungarian Alatau diverge and get lost in the sands, only the most significant carry water to Balkhash. From the south, Karatal, Aksu, Lepsy and Ili flow into the lake, providing up to 80 percent of the inflow.
Ili ends with a vast delta (8 thousand square kilometers) in the form of a triangle, the top of which is below the village of Bakanas. There are two dozen around the delta settlements, no more than 100–200 families, the anthropogenic load is small. The river is divided into branches - Topar, Zhideli and a number of lake systems - Topar, Ili and others. Their watering, as well as the life of Balkhash itself, completely depends on Ili.
In 1970, in its middle course, in a narrow place of the channel, between high rocky shores, the Kapchagay reservoir was built. It was assumed that the reservoir and the hydroelectric power station would help put 400,000 hectares of land into agricultural circulation. Filling the reservoir with only half immediately affected the state of the entire basin. The surface area of Balkhash has decreased by more than four thousand square kilometers, and salinity in the fresh part has increased. Desertification of the delta has begun.
The lake systems were disappearing. Waterlogged areas were replaced by dry ones. The lakes turned into salt marshes, the wind carried salt dust with sand for kilometers. Drying of the floodplains led to the disappearance of animals and birds. Reeds were replaced by salt-tolerant perennials. Balkhash almost suffered the fate of the Aral Sea.
Once Balkhash had already dried up, but without human intervention. Natural secular fluctuations in the level of the lake for a thousand years were 12–14 meters, short-term - 2–4.
“Several hunters reported interesting information. According to them, Balkhash has shrunk by 2 arshins over the past 9 years. They noticed this by the retreat of water in the reeds, which were covered with water in the past, but are now completely dry ... Water on the southeastern shore of the lake, from the time of shooting in 1852, retreated 3–4 versts, that is, no less than a verst every ten years, ”wrote biologist Alexander Mikhailovich Nikolsky in 1885.
The last minimum of Balkhash fell on the 5th-10th centuries. Then the lake split into western and eastern reaches. The surface of Balkhash was below 336 meters above sea level. In the early 1980s, the Institute of Lake Science calculated that in order for Balkhash not to dry out, its level should be above 341–342 meters. From 1984 to 1989 this figure was lower. The filling of the reservoir was suspended, the flow regime of the Ili, close to natural, was restored, with the flow to the top of the delta of at least 10.8 cubic kilometers per year. This helped raise the water in the lake, but desertification and biodiversity decline continued.
Andrey Kamenev In the 1930s–1940s, the pelican colonies on Balkhash numbered over a thousand nests. Today their number has dwindled. Many areas on the islands and the coast have been mastered by fishermen and hunters.
Field Station of the Institute of Geography on the Arkhar Peninsula. Previously, hydrologists lived in a trailer, recently a solid house with a common dining room was built for them. Bauyrzhan Zhumabekov, the leading engineer of the Arkhar hospital, is the owner of the house, his wife Bota cooks in the yard for the whole horde of scientists. Under their supervision, Akhan Myrzakhmetov and the laughing Gulsayra and Lyazzat, engineers at the Water Resources Laboratory, are studying runoff losses in the Ili Delta.
“Strong water” comes from Kapchagai, Akhan explains. - It is clarified - as clarified juice is. Silt, suspensions settle in the reservoir, as in a filter. And this biological runoff nourished fertile soils. Purified water moves at a different speed, the channel is eroded, waves of faults raise bottom sediments. Water drags debris and turbidity to the delta, clogging its channels. The area of the delta is shrinking. Almost half of the Topar system is gone.
The Ili delta works as a natural counter-regulator: in full-flowing years it accumulates water like a sponge, and in dry years it gives part of its reserves to the lake. Now, according to Akhan, the natural regime of floods has been disrupted: in spring there is less moisture, and in winter more. Every year about three cubic kilometers of water is lost in the delta.
Experts suggested dividing Balkhash as an extreme measure: to build a dam in Uzynaral, blocking off the more important, freshwater part of the lake. Eastern Balkhash would have dried up at the same time - it would have turned into salty mud. At the meetings, even the term for the construction of the dam was called - 1988. But more than one Kapchagai hydroelectric power station influenced the state of the lake, and it was impossible to calculate all the consequences.
It's a chain, Akhan draws in the sand. - The filling of the reservoir depends on China, the filling of Ili depends on the reservoir, the level of Balkhash depends on Ili ...
The river originates in China, in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Since the 2000s, China has begun a program to develop western territories, and the water intake from the upper reaches of the Ili and the Irtysh increased several times. Only in the Ili basin were built 13 reservoirs, 59 hydroelectric installations, a few years ago, the laying of a canal for the transfer of Ili water to the western part of the deserted Tarim Basin began. (However, now that water reserves have been discovered under the desert, the situation may change. But even an increase in water intake from Ili in Chinese territory by only 10–15 percent may turn out to be critical).
On international forum"Balkhash-2000" has already discussed the dehydration of the Ili-Balkhash basin. At the same time, a beautiful concept of necessary measures was adopted. One of the points is to reach an agreement with China on transboundary rivers and use water-saving technologies. In 2001, China signed an agreement with Kazakhstan on the use of transboundary rivers, under which their water relations are still regulated.
They also wanted to put the Kerbulak HPP downstream of the Kapchagai reservoir - a counter-regulator, in order to balance the uneven discharges of Kapchagai. The project is ready, you can build - there is no money.
Ahan puts out his cigarette in the sand. Medvedkas, resembling armored earthen drills, large-headed crickets, hiding in cracks under stones during the day, praying mantises, antlions crawl along the sand from everywhere to the hospital into the light from the darkness. Hundreds of small and large moths create a winged snowstorm around the lantern. The forage base on Ili is rich.
Hedgehogs, hamsters, shrews, and birds feed on beetles and fillies. The existence of twilight waders - avdotok, night lizards - geckos is associated with an abundance of insects. A nocturnal predator, an eared hedgehog, puffing like semolina, all stretches out on unexpectedly long legs and runs away briskly. Jerboas are like swift little elves. Flashes in the headlights for a second - disappeared.
The abundance of bears and crickets along the banks attracts badgers. Wild boars come to the reed beds to feast on locusts. Foxes and wolves find shelter in coastal tugai, lakeside reeds.
Reed forms long dense thickets along the Ili, along the banks of the channel - the “jungle of the Balkhash region”. Cormorants and herons live in reed supports, flying past with the regularity of aircraft near Sheremetyevo. Black crows, different species of geese and ducks, grebes, stilted waders nest among fragile stems. A pelican runs noisily across the water before taking off.
Or carries cold water from glaciers; passing through the desert zone, it does not have time to warm up, high summer temperatures are softened by the proximity of large water masses - therefore, one can unexpectedly meet northern, boreal species such as the black-throated diver here. The white-headed duck is also found here - an amazing short-winged duck with a blue beak. It is rare everywhere and is listed in the Red Book as a poorly studied species. There, in the Red Book, there are saxaul jay, saja, bullduruk, sandgrouse, pink and curly pelicans living in colonies in the Ili delta, spoonbill, whooper swan, red-throated goose, beauty bustard, white-tailed and long-tailed eagles.
In the postwar years, in the muskrat farm (the muskrat was acclimatized on the Ili in 1935), a campaign was carried out to exterminate predators and corvids - crows, magpies, marsh harriers, black kites: for the paws of a bird, a reward was paid from 50 kopecks to 5 rubles for large predators, including eagle. Later, the habitats of the muskrat were destroyed by winter floods, by the 1990s the fishery stopped, and the number of eagles increased. Absence tall trees in the delta taught them to nest in reed beds.
Our boat caravan floats all the way to the exit to the expanse of Balkhash. In the canals, the water is more transparent, the main course is thick, the color of green tea with milk. The delta changes every year, and even hydrologists get lost, not understanding where to take the boat - new areas of shallow water, sand deposits have formed.
A giant labyrinth of small channels, lakes, swamps diverges. The width of some channels is such that the reeds grind along both sides of the boat, closing overhead. Obviously, somewhere here 130 years ago, Alexander Nikolsky made his observations: “Far, far to the horizon, to the south and east, an endless thicket of reeds stretches. Its dark foliage with a dull noise, like the sea, is agitated by a strong gust of wind. The smooth surface of small lakes glitters, serving as a brothel for ducks, coots and grebes.”
We approach the shore on the Shuburkunan channel. Bauyrjan's friend Zeyetulla keeps a fishing base here. They grew up in a neighboring village, both were Komsomol workers. Now one is a hydrologist and the other is a businessman.
The boars are coming in, Zeeken-ah?
In the fall, they took one ...
And the saigas?
Now rare. There used to be a lot of saiga,” Zeyetulla recalls. “We hunted them from a helicopter. We fly low, we see a herd, we throw a wheel from the car, it rolls, breaks the legs of the saiga, the herd rushes about. We select the wounded. They run fast, but their legs are thin ...
In the early 1990s, there were 800-900 thousand saigas in Kazakhstan, in 2003 - 21 thousand. The reason for the decline in numbers was poaching; the sale of horns was an extra income for the rural population, which had lost collective farms. The saigas were taken under protection, and today there are already about 250,000 of them in three territorially scattered groups.
A few years ago the World Fund wildlife concerned about the state of the delta and recognized it and the southern part of the lake as wetlands of world importance. A project arose to turn the delta into a state reserve and introduce the Amur tiger, instead of the exterminated subspecies - the Caspian tiger - in the delta and on the coast. It is proposed to create a new population in cooperation with Russia, transporting tiger cubs from Far East. The first animals will be released here no earlier than 2020, "in contact with the local population ... to increase the eco-tourism attractiveness of the region." I look into the reeds, wondering how much it attracts me to see ruby eyes glowing in the dusk there.
And finally, Balkhash. The lake is plagued by storms. On the horizon, it is lined with misty white-gray pillars of clouds. We are crossing in a narrow place, we are escorted by terns, gulls-gulls - but soon the water is empty, even small waves run up, the boat slaps its nose on their potholes, the banks are not visible, only open bluish-muddy water.
Long ago, the Chinese called it Si-Hai (Western Sea), the Turks and Mongols called it Ak-Dengiz (White Sea), the Kazakhs called it Tengiz (Sea). Under the name Balkhash, the lake was mapped by Claporte in 1833. The hydronym means "marshy area", or "bog with hummocks".
The southern coast of the Western Balkhash from the delta to the Karashagan Bay is indented coastline, low sandy shores, numerous bays, shallows deeply protruding into the shore and spits protruding into the lake. Conversely, in its western, northern, and southeastern parts, the shores are high, rocky, and comparatively little indented. The deep water zone extends along the northern and West Bank, the greatest depth (12.8 meters) - in Bertis Bay.
Stationary observations of the lake's regime were started in 1913, when the first water measuring post was opened in Karagashan Bay (which, however, did not last long - until 1917). Systematic observations were resumed only in the early 1930s, at the same time, an expedition of the Hydrological Institute worked to justify the construction of a copper smelter on the lake.
Once Balkhash had already dried up, but without human intervention.
The Balkhashtsvetmet plant is another problem for the lake. This is an important city-forming enterprise. However, its emissions into the atmosphere, settling on water, are detrimental to nature. In 2015, several water samples were taken at Balkhash, and, according to ecologists, the concentration of copper, magnesium, and zinc was increased in them. From a distance from the plain, on a calm day, you can see with the naked eye how the city of Balkhash floats in a yellow fog that blurs its outlines.
Aleksey Grebennikov, a native of Balkhash, is a solid person. A power engineer by profession, he started out as an amateur fisherman: he bought a boat. Now Aleksey is the owner of the Neptune fishing base on the shores of the Eastern Balkhash. Far away in the lake, he rented a reed island without land, built a pontoon on which fishermen can live for two weeks, eating catfish and carp.
Once upon a time, the Ili delta and Balkhash produced up to 300 thousand centners of fish per year, the carp catch was half of its total production in the USSR. Due to salinization of waters, the area of spawning grounds has decreased. In the 1980s, thousands of tons of carp were caught in the lake, in the 2000s the catch was limited to 60 tons.
They worry about the level of the lake,” Aleksey gets angry, “but they don’t care about poaching. They will buy a license to catch 40 tons, and take out 400!
Fishermen show us another consequence of the transboundary status of Ili: the snakehead fish infestation passed through it and Balkhash. This is a universal predator: it can breathe both in water and in the air, in the oral cavity there is a small brush, like a catfish, behind it is a row of large teeth, and the head is covered with large scales and really looks like a snake. Locals believe that, like other troubles, this one came from China and will soon destroy all Balkhash pikes.
We have seen enough of Hollywood, - Alexey rejects fears. - Delicious fish! Do you know the endemics of Balkhash? No, not carp. There were marinka, barbel, sturgeon and crucian carp here. A branch of the Leningrad Institute of Fisheries launched pike perch into Balkhash. Before that, carp and bream were launched. Catfish accidentally came to us with them. Pike perch ate marinka and perch. To feed him, a vobla was allowed into the lake. Vobla ate carp caviar. After all, he does not always spawn, but in waves: mass throwing once every 7–10 years. Then the asp came from somewhere. Nothing. We have already begun to get crustaceans here. Where? Almaty residents catch them, someone missed ...
Alexei is taking us on a boat to the last point of the expedition: the Uzynaral Strait. Here the fresh waters of Lake Balkhash meet with the salty ones. The average depth is only four meters, and the width is from four to six kilometers. A slow, time-varying current directed from the mouth of the Ili towards the eastern reaches is called the water-balance flow of water. It plays a significant role in salt exchange between the western and eastern parts lakes. The salinity of Balkhash in the western part varies in different years from 0.7 to 1.6, in the eastern part - 3.5-6 grams per liter.
We drop anchor and rock in the channel. The waters of the Eastern Balkhash are bright blue, with a green tint, under the sun - like the wings of Persian bee-eaters nesting here in summer. But from a boat, by eye, there is no way to see the mixing of waters.
Now Balkhash is at around 342.2, even though it has fallen by 54 centimeters over the past few dry years. They say that the current level, the lower limit of the norm, is the result of the melting of glaciers. If Balkhash nevertheless becomes shallow, then the entire river system of south-eastern Kazakhstan will collapse, dust storms will rise, and together with salt they will reach the upper foothills of Alatau, where glaciers will melt and cover Almaty with mudflows.
Aleksey and his au pair Polina look at the fate of Balkhash with confident calmness.
For how many years they have been frightening - it dries up ... But there is so much water. We still know little about Balkhash, it has some kind of a second bottom, from which it will be filled in case of emergency. We say so.
A severe thunderstorm breaks out over Balkhash, which does not subside all night - the water whistles horizontally, lightning cuts through the darkness every two seconds. In the morning, the entire coastal steppe is in deep puddles, and, however, it seems that there is so much water that it will not go anywhere, at the right moment it will miraculously appear, it will never run out. The steppe breathes after the rain, the bitter smell of wormwood rises above the shore.
Lake Balkhash, located in the east of Kazakhstan, is the largest body of water in the republic, stretching like a crescent for 600 kilometers. Balkhash is the only lake on the planet with water of different composition: its western part is freshwater, and the eastern part is salty. Thanks to the narrow strait and the Saryesik peninsula, the waters of the lake do not mix.
Lake Balkhash basin
The salty waters of Balkhash and its mineralized hydrogen sulfide mud are healing and have a beneficial effect on human health.
An interesting legend about the appearance of the lake
The origin of Lake Balkhash has its own secrets. According to an old legend, the rich magician Balkhash once lived in these places, who really wanted to marry his beautiful daughter. The sorcerer Balkhash was looking for the strongest and richest groom for his daughter Or. To do this, he called from different parts of the best contenders for the girl's heart. It was supposed to go to a strong, handsome and rich guy. Of course, the sons of the Chinese emperor, the Mongol Khan and Bukhara merchants could not lose such an opportunity. They came to visit with numerous generous gifts in the hope of good luck. But one young man, a simple shepherd, did not hesitate to come without a penny in his pocket, and, as luck would have it, it was he who liked the bride.
Karatal, that was the name of the young man, took part in the battle and honestly won the battle. But the girl's father was not happy about this and, greatly indignant, expelled him. The bride's heart could not stand it, and at night Ili left her father's house with her chosen one. When her father found out about the escape, he cursed both of them and they became two rivers. Their waters rushed down the slopes of the mountains. But, not wanting the lovers to unite, even being rivers, Balkhash turned into a huge lake between them.
Lake Balkhash never ceases to amaze with its mystery - until now, scientists cannot explain the geographical paradox of the appearance of a semi-fresh water drainless reservoir among the steppes, in an area of dry climate and low precipitation.
Where is Lake Balkhash
The location of the attraction is the east of Kazakhstan, 400 km from Karaganda. The lake occupies 3 regions of the country at once - Karagadin, Almaty and Zhambyl. The reservoir is surrounded by two large sandy massifs. On the south side it is surrounded by the low Chu-Ili mountains, and in the west there is a picturesque steppe with small hills. There are several cities and towns on the shore - Balkhash, Priozersk, Lepsy, Chubar-Tubek. Required coordinates: latitude - 46 ° 32'27 "s. latitude, longitude - 74 ° 52'44 "in. d.
The most convenient way to get to the place is from Karaganda and Astana. From these cities there are buses and trains to the station. Balkhash. Travel time is about 9 hours.
The word "Balkhash" originated from the word "balkas", which from the Kazakh, Tatar and Altai languages means "hummocks in the swamp", "marshy area covered with hummocks".
The lake is of natural origin, it appeared as a result of the uneven subsidence of the Turan plate and the flooding of the formed depressions, presumably in the second period of the Cenozoic era. It has many small islands and two large ones - Basaral and Tasaral. Referring Lake Balkhash to sewage or drainless, it is more correct to choose the second option, because it does not have a water outlet.
The basin, according to scientists, is characterized by an uneven bottom with large elevation changes. In the western part, between Cape Korzhyntubek and Tasaral Island, the greatest depth is 11 m. In the east, this figure rises to 27 m. On one side of the coast, rocks 20-30 m high protrude, and on the other they are relatively uniform, no higher than 2 m Because of this, water often goes beyond the basin. So many small and large bays were formed.
Balkhash ranks second after the Caspian Sea in the list of perennial salt lakes in the world. It is also the largest in Kazakhstan.
Lake Balkhash from space
Characteristics of the reservoir:
- the total volume does not exceed 120 km²;
- the area is approximately 16 thousand km²;
- height above sea level - about 300 m;
- the size of Lake Balkhash: length - 600 km, width in the western part - up to 70 km, and in the eastern part - up to 20 km;
- has 43 islands, which increase over the years due to a decrease in the water level in the basin;
- the coastline is very uneven, its length is at least 2,300 km;
- the rivers flowing into the lake - Lepsi, Aksu, Karatal, Ayaguz and Ili;
- the salinity of water in the east does not exceed 5.2%, and in the west it is fresh;
- food is provided by groundwater, glaciers, snow and rain.
The lands of the Balkhash region are deserts and steppes covered with stones, clay and rubble. However, some plants have adapted to survive in difficult conditions. About 60 species of rare plants that do not have roots and grow directly from the water serve as a peculiar decoration of the lake.
The main source that feeds the Balkhash is the Ili River, which originates in the Tien Shan glaciers and flows into the reservoir from the western side. From the east, the lake is replenished by less full-flowing rivers Karatal, Aksu, Lepsy and others.
Balkhash has no drains, the water level in the lake fluctuates significantly in different time year and depends on the amount of snow in the mountains and on the intensity of evaporation from the surface of the reservoir.
The fauna of the lake is diverse, 20 species of fish live here. For industrial purposes, carp, bream, pike perch and asp are caught. These places were chosen by about 120 species of birds, some of which are listed in the Red Book. The flora attracting botanists is also quite diverse.
What is unique about the place
Of interest is the fact that the lake consists of two basins, radically different due to the characteristics of the water. Since they are separated by an isthmus 4 km wide, they do not touch each other. Because of this, it is difficult to determine the type of reservoir, salty or fresh, so Lake Balkhash is classified as semi-freshwater. No less interesting is the fact that the degree of mineralization of water differs sharply in the two parts.
Geographers and botanists are also surprised geographic location reservoir, because the continental climate, dry air, low rainfall and lack of runoff did not contribute to its occurrence.
weather features
The climate in this area is typical of deserts; in summer it is very hot, in July the air can warm up to 30 ° C. The water temperature is slightly lower, 20-25 ° C, suitable for swimming. In winter, the time of frost comes, sharp cooling down to -14 ° C is possible. Water usually freezes already in November, and the ice melts closer to April. Its thickness can reach up to a meter. Due to the low rainfall, droughts are quite common here. It often blows here strong winds causing high waves.
Story
The first information about Lake Balkhash was found in Chinese written sources. This is due to the fact that the Chinese were the only advanced civilization that lives nearby and has the opportunity to get to know this area. The region to the west of the Great Chinese wall, they called "Si-Yu", which means "Western Territory". They knew about its existence already in 126 BC. By 607, the Chinese had already compiled maps of 44 countries that were at that time in the territory of Central Asia. But these descriptions have not survived to this day.
According to some reports, Lake Balkhash was known to the Chinese under the name "Si-Hai", i.e. "Western Sea". Under this name, it is noted on the atlas of 1855. In the same period, the lake had another name given to it by the Kalmyks and Dzhungars "Balkhash-Nor" ("Lake Balkhash"). And the eastern peoples, such as the Turks and Mongols, who denoted everything with white geographic features west of their dwellings, they called it "Ak-Dengiz" ("White Sea"). And after the borders of their countries moved to the west, the lake became "blue" (eastern) - "Kukcha-Dengiz". The Kazakhs called the lake "Tengiz", which means "Sea".
In the 18th century, the lake was marked on several maps: on the map of 1716, which were published by the Swedish officer Renat, and on Russian map compiled by Captain Stralenberg in 1730.
During the reign of the Chinese Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the lake extended along northern border Chinese state. In 1864, in accordance with the Russian-Chinese agreement regarding the northwestern border, Balkhash and the territories adjacent to it were ceded to the Russian Empire.
In 1903-1904, the lake and the territories adjacent to it were studied by the expedition of L.S. Berg. As a result, it was established that Balkhash is located outside the boundaries of the Aral-Caspian basin, and that they never united in their geological past. It is interesting that Berg, studying the reservoir, came to the conclusion that the lake does not decrease and the water in it is fresh. He also noted that there was a period when Balkhash completely dried up, but then it was filled with water again, and since that time its water had not yet had time to become salty.
Currently, Balkhash is attracting everyone's attention with a find that was revealed by helicopter pilots. Making a flight over the isthmus, which divides the lake into salty and freshwater areas, they discovered the outline of protective ramparts with watchtowers. There was another confirmation that a thousand years ago there were two autonomous lakes on the site of the current lake. Today, the lake can be waded along this isthmus. The city found at the bottom was the center of the Great Silk Road to Sary-Arka.
Tourism
Arriving at Lake Balkhash, travelers discover its charming nature, unusual animal and vegetable world and other beauties. Since this area is considered an excellent recreational center, it will provide positive energy.
Numerous sandy beaches Balkhash lakes are great for a beach holiday. You can swim in the reservoir from late May to mid-September.
Since the reservoir is valued for its recreational opportunities, on its shore there are many places where you can stay in comfort.
Recreation centers on the lake provide an opportunity to use natural healing factors for healing a person. Lake salt and mud, which are found in springs near the reservoir, have special properties. Bathing in clean water and bright sun promotes recreation. A recreation industry is developing around the lake at coastal bases.
The surroundings of the lake are divided into several dozen zones, each of which has camp sites, holiday homes and hotels. The tourist cluster has catamarans, scooters, boats, boats, water skis, tennis tables, sports and playgrounds. The shores and buildings have been landscaped, they have dance halls, bars, restaurants, and health services are provided. Almost in any sanatorium or hotel they accept guests with children, for whom children's rooms and animators work.
The list of services and specialization of tourist centers, hotels, health resorts may differ. There are places where only fishermen are welcome, and there are places where only a beach holiday is possible. Therefore, before traveling, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with complete list basic and additional services, and choose the place of rest that meets all the requirements.
Entertainment and leisure for guests
Fishing is very popular here, allowed at specialized bases.
In the warm season, people come here mainly for beach holiday and snorkeling to do beautiful photos. Activities include jet skis, catamarans and boats. In winter, snowmobiling and skiing are popular.
You can sit with a fishing rod at specially designated places of fishing bases in the Balkhash region, which provide guests with accommodation and necessary equipment. Not a single fisherman, even a beginner, will leave without a good catch. Best time for fishing - spring and July-September. In April, the spawning run of the famous Balkhash roach begins. As soon as the lake warms up, crucian carp, carp, catfish and asp wake up. If you are lucky, then your bait may catch a snakehead - a predatory fish of a frightening look, very tasty and not having a specific smell.
Be careful - the local fish marinka (kara-balyk) is primarily poisonous, you can not eat its caviar and milk. Before cooking, the marinka must be well gutted and the black abdominal membranes carefully removed. Fish meat is fatty and very tasty.
Curly Pelican
Hunting in the Balkhash region is allowed for duck, goose, black grouse, hare, wolf, fox and pheasant. The hunting season opens in mid-September, when there are a lot of waterfowl on the lake. Specially trained individuals help to get the bird, luring their wild counterparts. But the shooters need to be careful - there are several species of birds on the lake, which are forbidden to hunt, because. they are listed in the Red Book: pink and curly pelicans, white-tailed eagle, whooper swan, spoonbill. For those who want to get a bigger trophy, wild boar hunting is offered, open from October to the end of December. Specially trained dogs track down the beast and drive it out of impenetrable reed beds. Since January it is allowed to shoot a fox, a wolf and a hare.
Recently, spearfishing has become popular, for which a special gun and a mask with a snorkel are enough.
Vacationers are waiting for a varied and exciting vacation on the water: boating, yachting, scootering, swimming, surfing and diving. Sports competitions in rowing, kayaking and fishing are often held on Balkhash, in which everyone who is confident in their abilities can take part.
If you come to the lake in winter, then you are waiting for skiing, windsurfing on ice, snowmobiling.
Horse and camel rides in the vicinity of the reservoir will be unforgettable.
If you want to admire the beauty of Lake Balkhash from above, you can take part in a helicopter tour. Flight prices vary depending on the type of aircraft. You can sign up for an excursion at recreation centers and hotels.
Rocks of Lake Balkhash
The picturesque tract of Bektau-Ata is a natural landmark of the Balkhash surroundings, towering over the Kazakh steppes 70 km from the lake. Bizarre rocks alternate with deep gorges. Many cliffs have names: "Mushroom", "Turtle", "Trunk". In one of the gorges mysterious cave Auslie with clean water, which locals considered curative.
Bektau-Ata tract
Around Lake Balkhash there are many archaeological sites protected by the state and open to the public. Ancient mounds and sites give an idea of the life and customs of the ancient settlers. The most impressive sights are: Aktasty and Klysh mounds, groups of mounds near the Karasu wintering grounds and in the Ken Dara gorge, Dermen and Dongal sites, Aydagarly cave.
The place of pilgrimage for tourists is an example of the cult architecture of Mazar Ak Beket of the 18th century. Mazar - a building on the burial sites in the form of a round yurt.
Mazar Ak Beket
Vacationers interested in the culture and history of the local people can visit the Local Lore Museum of the city of Balkhash.
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Balkhash- drainless semi-fresh water lake in the eastern part of Kazakhstan, the 2nd largest non-drying lake salt Lake(after the Caspian Sea), the thirteenth largest among all the lakes in the world. The lake is located at an altitude of 340 meters above sea level, the surface area of the lake is over 18,000 km2, and the length is over 600 km. Like all lowland lakes, its depth is small and averages only about 5 meters, the largest is 26 m.
The climate in the area of the lake is desert, about 130 mm of precipitation falls. The lake belongs to the Balkhash-Alakol water management basin and is located immediately in three regions of Kazakhstan: Almaty, Zhambyl and Karaganda. To the north of the lake there is a wide Kazakh hillock, to the west Betpak-Dala stretches, and in the south there are the Chu-Ili mountains, the sands of Taukum and Saryesik-Atyrau. The Saryesik-Atyrau desert, together with Balkhash and Lake Alakol, make up the Balkhash-Alakol basin.
Balkhash is unique, and its uniqueness lies in the fact that it semi-freshwater, in other words, the eastern half of the lake is salty, and the western half is actually fresh. They are separated by the narrow isthmus of Uzynaral, only 4 kilometers wide, because of which the water practically does not mix and has such a striking salinity contrast.
A huge number of rivers flow into the Balkhash, the largest of them is Libo, one of the largest rivers in Asia, the largest big river Semirechye, which carries its waters for almost one and a half thousand kilometers from the Tien Shan ranges. Or - the 2nd factor determining why the western half of the lake is fresh. Other rivers are small, the largest being Lepsy, Karatal and Aksu.
The fauna of the lake is very diverse. First of all, like all the steppe lakes of Kazakhstan, Balkhash strikes with a variety of birds, a snow-white swan - business card lakes. There is also an opportunity to meet snow-white pelicans, pheasants, golden eagles and others. There are 20 species of fish in the waters of Balkhash. Among them, 5 species are commercial. Thanks to this abundance, fishing and hunting tours have become widespread in Balkhash.
The shores of the lake are gently sloping, so it is virtually impossible to see the panorama of the lake from the ground. It is possible to do this only from the adjacent Bektau-Ata mountain range (up to 1000 meters above sea level), in clear weather the lake is visible for 100 km around.
IN current time Lake Balkhash is rapidly becoming shallow and polluted. Salt water becomes more, as the volume of the lake is miniaturized. The reason is the increase in water intake from the Libo River by users, while the main runoff-forming part of the basin is located in China. As a result, Balkhash began to receive half the previous volume of water and, according to environmentalists, it is threatened by the fate of the virtually disappeared Aral Sea. Despite the huge number of agreements signed by the countries of Central Asia, the difficulties of transboundary watercourses are not being resolved. After a long 10 years of continuous consultations between Kazakhstan and China, the contours of the future process of water allocation for transboundary watercourses have only been outlined.
About 3 million people live in the Ile-Balkhash basin region, in connection with this, water difficulties can lead to severe socio-economic consequences. Analyzing how the decisions of the international forum "Balkhash-2005" are being implemented, specialists are obliged to admit that only part of the advice has been implemented: namely, the Ile-Balkhashsky natural Park, and the program for solving environmental, aqua problems of Balkhash for 2006-2009 did not receive sufficient funding, turned out to be very short in terms of time and is in no way connected with regional and district development programs.
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Why is half of the water in Lake Balkhash fresh and half salty?
Balkhash is a drainless semi-freshwater lake in the eastern part of Kazakhstan, the 2nd largest non-drying salt lake (after the Caspian Sea), the thirteenth largest among all the lakes in the world. The lake is located at an altitude of 340 meters above sea level, the surface area of the lake is over 18,000 km2, and the length is over 600 km. Like all lowland lakes, its depth is small...
Balkhash (Balkhash; Kaz. Balkhash) is a drainless semi-freshwater lake in the Balkhash-Alakol basin in the southeast of Kazakhstan, the second largest non-drying salt lake (after the Caspian Sea) and the 14th in the list of the largest lakes in the world.
The uniqueness of the lake lies in the fact that it is divided by a narrow strait into two parts with different chemical characteristics of water - in the western part it is almost fresh, and in the eastern part it is brackish.
Its area at low standing water is 17.5 thousand square meters. km, with a higher up to 19 thousand square meters. km. The average length is 600 km. Balkhash lies at an altitude of 340 m above the sea. Balkhash, a drainless lake, receives the rivers Ili, Karatal, Ak-su and others. natural conditions Balkhash is divided by the narrow Uzun-Aral strait into a relatively shallow western stretch (up to 11 m), which receives the river. Or, desalinating this entire part of the lake, and the eastern deeper stretch (up to 26.5 l), separated by the indicated strait, its water is salty. Thus, in hydrochemical and biological terms, Balkhash is a fresh-salt mixotrophic heterogeneous lake.
The first researcher of Balkhash, who laid the foundation for its hydrological and biological study, was L. S. Berg. His expedition (equipped by the Geographical Society) descended in 1903 to Balkhash along the river. Or, for the first time, she established the presence of fresh water in the western part of the lake, compiled a map of the lake and gave scientific coverage of the history of this wonderful reservoir. In Soviet times, it was studied in detail by P.F. Domrachev (1931).
Balkhash lies among the Zhambyl, Karaganda, Taldy-Kurgan and Almaty regions of Kazakhstan. It has a horseshoe shape and is elongated from west to east. To go around Balkhash around, you need to make a path equal to the distance from Leningrad to the Crimea. The length of the lake is 595 km, at its widest point it is 71 km, but almost everywhere it is much narrower.
The southern shores are low, in the western part they represent a dry sandy plain of the old river delta. Or, criss-crossed by the dried beds of her former sleeves. Further, along the shores of the lake covered with reeds, a ridge of low sandy hills stretches, behind which the sand desert of Sary-Ishikotrau stretches to the south and east. Only in the east the coast rises. In the north, the Bedpak-Dala desert and the spurs of the Kazakh folded country approach the lake.
Nowadays, Balkhash no longer represents a deserted and wild place, as during the expeditions of L. S. Berg and P. F. Domrachev. The town of Balkhash sprawled on the northern shore, and a number of villages appeared. From the west along the Balkhash passes Railway Mointy-Chu, its branch goes to the city of Balkhash. The waters of the lake are surfed by steamships sailing along the entire lake, and dozens of fishing boats. Balkhash collects water from the spurs of the Tien Shan, the Trans-Ili and Dzungarian Alatau. Its largest tributary Ili (1300 km) flows into the lake in the southwest. The catchment area of Balkhash is 176.5 thousand square meters. km.
The Ili River carries the bulk of fresh water into the lake, it is full of water and little subject to level fluctuations. It is this water that freshens the entire western shallower section of Balkhash, in which mineralization only gradually increases from 500 mg/l as the distance from the river mouth to 1500 mg/l towards the Uzun-Aral strait. The remaining tributaries of the Balkhash: Karatal, Ak-su, Lepsa and Ayaguz are shorter and have less effect on the chemical regime of the lake. All of them flow into the eastern salty deeper part of the lake, where the mineralization is from 3500 to 5000 mg/l of water.
The level of the lake is subject to long-term periodic fluctuations, possibly associated with the changing high water content of the tributaries, which begin near the snows of the Tien Shan. During periods of high water, the level of the lake rises by 2.75 m and it becomes fresher. Level changes occur about once every 40 years.
Balkhash is shallow (average depth 6 m), and in the hot climate of Central Asia, its water is heated to 27-30 ° in the summer months. Balkhash freezes not every year. The lake is quite rough, and the waves on it are significant.
Due to the exhaustion of silt from the bottom, the water of the lake is slightly transparent and has a greenish-whitish color. The Kazakhs call Balkhash "Ak-Deniz", which means "White Sea". But in quiet days for more deep places the lake takes on a pure emerald blue hue and transparency increases (up to 4.5-5 m). The oxygen regime of the lake is quite satisfactory, there is no stagnant water anywhere.
The shores of Balkhash are mostly sandy. The deserts surrounding the lake pass along its shores into flat, far-reaching beaches of sand dotted with fragments of shutter shells. In some places, the sand is silty and along the southwestern and south coast overgrown with a thick wall of reeds. The latter not only grows in the water, but in some places goes ashore. A mass of fragments of old stems, dry leaves and reed roots peat the shore.
Wild boars are found in the thickets. There are a lot of waterfowl, there are whole colonies of pelicans. About 40 years ago there was a tiger in the shores of Balkhash.
Stony and rocky soils of the littoral are more common along the northern and eastern shores near bedrock outcrops.
Deeper the bottom is lined at first with dark, and in the main basin with light gray, strongly siliceous silts, with a large admixture of diatom valves.
Fauna and flora of Lake Balkhash
The fauna of the lake is not rich, but it uniquely reflects its mixed hydrochemical regime.
Zooplankton includes:
- 5 types of protozoa,
- 28 - rotifers,
- 11-cladocer and,
- 6 species of copepods.
IN open lake-in rotifers are found in the western fresher part:
- 2 types of keratelli,
- Trichocerca small (Trichocerca pusila),
- chromogaster turtle,
- pompholyx furrowed,
and from crustaceans:
- diaphanodoma,
- leptodora,
- cyclops Leuckart,
- thick cyclops (Cyclops crassus),
- diatom thin and,
- hydrochloric diatom.
To the east, the number of halophilic forms, especially hydrochloric diaptome, increases, salt-loving rotifers from the genus Pedalia, and the crustacean ceriodaphnia retina appear. The number of crustaceans (without rotifers) is significantly higher in the desalinated part (over 50 thousand/m 3 of water) than in the saline eastern part (17.3 thousand/m 3 of water). E. F. Manuilova (1940), who studied the zooplankton of Balkhash, described an interesting daphnia (Daphnia balchaschensis), which changes its shape depending on the salinity of the water.
In the western fresh part of the lake, the Balkhash daphnia had a long tail spike and a high curved helmet, while this crustacean from the salty areas of the lake was round-headed with a short spike. These changes are similar seasonal changes"summer" and "winter" daphnia lakes of the north, but they occur simultaneously in different salinity parts of the lake.
Algal plankton in the west in summer consists of melosira and ceratium, in more saline areas, blue-green foam-born nodularia (Nodularia spumigera) and diatoms: hatoceros and amphipora (I. A. Kiselev) develop.
The benthos of the lake also reflects its chemical heterogeneity. There is a complete extinction of mollusks in the lake, caused by an increase in its salinity. Now there are no mollusks in Balkhash, but at its bottom and along its banks there are many shells of freshwater species common to Siberia - pond snails (4 species), coils (2 species), shutters, bitinia, lake peas.
The vast majority of the bottom population of the lake are tendipedid larvae. Of the 24 forms of larvae of Balkhash, larvae of the salt-loving tendipes predominate everywhere, the second place, especially in the eastern regions, is occupied by the protentes, in the fresher part of the lake there are also many cryptochironomes and proclads. The flight of chiron mosquitoes on the lake is massive and takes place sequentially, the first to complete its metamorphosis is the protentes (in June-July), followed by a massive flight of the hydrochloric tendipes, and already in August the cryptochironome years occur.
The biomass of benthos in Balkhash is low. In the western part - 0.6 g, in the eastern 0.7 g / m 2 of the bottom. The weight of benthic organisms is higher towards the end of winter, when the biomass increases approximately three times.
1 - Balkhash marinka, 2 - gubach, 3 - carp, 4 - Balkhash perch, 5 - Aral spike
In such a large lake as Balkhash, only 5 species of fish were previously found:
- two species of marinok (Schizothorax pseudoaksaiensis and Sch. argentatus),
- large Strauch char (Nemachilus strauchi),
- sloth (Nemachilus labiatus) and,
- Balkhash perch (Perea schrenki).
Occasionally from the Or Polyakov's minnow (Phoxinus poljakowi) comes in. Fish grow slowly, marinka feed on aquatic plants, loaches on coastal invertebrates, and perch are predatory fish.
At present, the ichthyofauna of Balkhash has been enriched with new, more valuable species.
The beginning of Balkhash fish farming was involuntarily laid by an amateur fish farmer F. Bogdanov, who bred carp from the lake near Verny (Alma-Ata). Issyk-Kul. In 1905, after the dam broke, part of the fish from his pond went into the river. Almaty, through it in the river. Or to Balkhash. Since 1913 carp has become the most common fish in Balkhash. Its catches in our time are 50-60 thousand centners per year. It is known that carp feeds mainly on tendipedid larvae.
In 1933 in the river. Or a spike was released from the Aral Sea. Now it is already caught in the western Balkhash, reaching a length of more than 1 m and a weight of over 9 kg. In Balkhash, the thorn feeds on char and perch. A bream has been introduced into the lake, and the Siberian dace has also appeared in it. Thus, the fish fauna of Balkhash has become more complete, and therefore the feeding possibilities of this large reservoir are better used.
There are a number of salt lakes in the Balkhash depression, many of which, like Ala-Kul, undoubtedly previously formed one whole with Balkhash and, being separated from it, quickly became saline.
In total, about 70 self-sustaining lakes have been identified in the Balkhash region. Among them there are chloride, sulfate lakes containing mainly mirabilite and thenardite, and most often there are mixed lakes, where the salt mass consists of table salt and sodium sulfate. In the lake Kokdombak 48 km from the station. Bertys under a thin layer of table salt and a layer of silt lies high-quality gypsum. Many of the lakes are suitable for industrial exploitation.
So, for example, from Tersakkan (to the west of the city of Balkhash) the fish factory and the Balkhash local plant receives table salt. Good quality table salt is mined in the lake. Kashka-Teniz railway station Chu-Moints.
An older connection is established at the lake. Balkhash with the lakes of the Alakul depression lying further to the east, near the border with China. Lake Ala-Kul (2300 sq. km) is one of the largest lakes in Kazakhstan. Its low-lying shores are overgrown with reeds, among which there are many water birds.
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Lake Balkhash
Balkhash - drainless, semi-fresh water lake in the eastern part of Kazakhstan, one of the largest in the world.Coordinates: 46-32′27″ s. sh. 74-52′44″ in. d.
IN western part Balkhash flows into major river Or (80% of the total water inflow), to the east - small rivers Karatal, Aksu, Lepsy, Ayaguz and others.
The coastline is quite winding. The shores are dissected by numerous bays and bays. There are few islands, the largest are Basaral and Tasaral.
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The climate around the lake is desert. average temperature July around 24 -C, January around -8-C. Precipitation averages 120 mm per year. Relative air humidity 55-60%. The average annual wind speed is about 4.5-4.8 m/s. The water temperature on the surface is from 0 -C in December to 28 -C in July, it changes little at depth (temperature difference is not more than 3.3 -C). The lake freezes annually, the ice usually stays from November to March.
The currents are windy, in the western part it is constant circular.
The fauna of Balkhash is quite rich: the benthos is represented by molluscs, larvae of aquatic insects and crustaceans; plankton is also quite abundant, especially in the western part.
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20 species of fish live in the lake, 6 of them are characteristic of the lake itself (Ili and Balkhash marinka, Balkhash perch, spotted and monochromatic sloth and minnow), the rest are acclimatized in it by man: carp, thorn, eastern bream, Aral barbel, Siberian dace, carp , tench, pike perch, catfish, osman and others
The main commercial fish are carp, pike perch, Balkhash perch, marinka, bream.