Lake Balkhash
Lake Balkhash | |
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Балқаш көлі, Balqaş kölı Озеро Балхаш | |
Koksu rivers | |
Primary outflows | evaporation |
Basin countries | Kazakhstan |
Max. length | 605 km (376 mi) |
Max. width | East 19 km (12 mi) West 74 km (46 mi) |
Surface area | 16,400 km2 (6,300 sq mi) |
Average depth | 5.8 m (19 ft) |
Max. depth | 26 m (85 ft) |
Water volume | 100 km3 (24 cu mi) |
Surface elevation | 341.4 m (1,120 ft) |
Frozen | November to March |
Lake Balkhash (
The lake currently covers about 16,400 km2 (6,300 sq mi). However, like the Aral Sea, it is shrinking due to diversion and extraction of water from its feeders.[1] The lake has a narrow, quite central, strait. The lake's western part is fresh water and its eastern half is saline.[2][3][4][5] The eastern part is on average 1.7 times deeper than the west. The largest shore city is named Balkhash and has about 66,000 inhabitants. Main local economic activities include mining, ore processing and fishing.
There is concern about the lake's shallowing due to desertification of microclimates and water extraction for multiplied industrial output. Moreover, the impacts of climate change may also negatively affect the lake and its ecosystems.
History and naming
The present name of the lake originates from the word "balkas" of Tatar, Kazakh and Southern Altai languages which means "tussocks in a swamp".[6]
From as early as 103 BC up until the 8th century, the Balkhash polity surrounding the lake, whose Chinese name was Yibohai 夷播海, was known to the
In 1864, the lake and its neighboring area were ceded to the Russian Empire under the Treaty of Tarbagatai.[8] [9] With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the lake became part of Kazakhstan.
The origin of the lake
Balkhash lies in the deepest part of the vast Balkhash-Alakol depression, which was formed by a sloping trough between mountains of the
Description
All the rivers of this region that carry their waters from high mountains flow into Lake Balkhash, however, none of them flows out. The major ones are:
As recently as 1910 the lake was considerably larger with an estimated area of 23,464 km2. By 1946 this had shrunk to 15,730 km2.[11]
Relief
The lake covers about 16,400 km2 (2000),[3] making it the largest lake wholly in Kazakhstan. Its surface is about 340 m above sea level. It has a gentle curve (sickle) shape yet with jagged shorelines. Its length is about 600 km and the width varies from 9–19 km in the eastern part to 74 km in the western part. Saryesik Peninsula, near the middle of the lake, hydrographically divides it into two very different lakes. The western lake covers 58% of the surface area but only 46% of the volume.[12] It is thus relatively shallow, quiet and filled with freshwater. The eastern lake is much deeper and saltier. These parts are connected by the Uzynaral Strait (Kazakh: Ұзынарал – "long island") – 3.5 km wide and about 6 metres deep.[2]
The numbers mark the largest peninsulas, island and bays:
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The lake includes several small basins. In the western part, are two depressions 7–11 meters deep. One extends from the western coast (near Tasaral Island) to Cape Korzhyntubek, whereas the second lies south from the Gulf Bertys, which is the deepest part of the "half". The average depth of the eastern basin is 16 m and has the maximum depth (of 26 m).[13]
The average depth of the lake is 5.8 metres, and the total volume of water is about 112 km3.[13]
The western and northern shores of the lake are high (20–30 m) and rocky; they are composed of such
The lake contains 43 islands with a total area of 66 km2;.
Feeding the lake and the water level
The Balkhash-Alakol Basin covers 512,000 km2,[16] and its average surface water runoff is 27.76 km3/year, of which 11.5 km3 comes from China. The drainage basin of the lake is about 413,000 km2;[12][15] with 15% in the north-west of Xinjiang in China and a negligible part from mountains along the Kyrgyz-Kazakh border. Lake Balkhash thus takes 86% of water inflow from Balkhash-Alakol basin.
The Ili accounts for 73–80% of the inflow: 12.3 km3/year
The eastern part of the lake is fed by the rivers
The western half's inflow averages 1.15 km3 greater, per year.[20]
The area and volume vary due to long-term and short-term fluctuations in water level. Long-term fluctuations had an amplitude of 12–14 metres. Since the year 0
Total inflow to the lake was 22.51 km3, including:
Total losses amounted to 24.58 km3, including
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The minimal water level of recent decades (340.65 meters
Water composition
Balkhash is a semi-saline lake. Chemical composition strongly depends on the hydrographic features of the reservoir. Water in the west half is nearly fresh, with the content of total dissolved solids about 0.74 g/L, and cloudy (visibility: 1 metre); it is used for drinking and industry. The east half has less silt in suspension (visibility: 5.5 metres) but resembles oceanic sea water in salinity, with concentration of 3.5–6 g/L.[14] The average salinity of the lake is 2.94 g/L. Long-term (1931–70) average precipitation of salts in the lake is 7.53 million tonnes and the reserves of dissolved salts are about 312 million tonnes.[13] The water in the western part has a yellow-gray tint, and in the eastern part the color varies from bluish to emerald-blue.[23]
Climate
The climate of the lake area is
There are 110–130 sunny days per year with the average irradiance of 15.9 MJ/m2 per day.[12] Water temperature at the surface of the lake varies from 0 °C in December to 28 °C in July. The average annual temperature is 10 °C in the western and 9 °C in the eastern parts of the lake. The lake freezes every year between November and early April,[24] and the melting is delayed by some 10–15 days in the eastern part.[10]
Balkhash City | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Climate chart (explanation) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Depth | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eastern part of the lake | ||||||||||||
0 | – | −0.2 | 0.2 | – | 13.9 | 19.0 | 23.4 | 23.2 | 17.2 | 11.4 | – | – |
10 | – | 1 | – | – | 10.8 | 16.7 | 21.7 | 22.8 | – | – | – | – |
20 (near the bottom) |
– | 1.7 | 1.9 | – | 8.9 | 13.7 | 14.6 | 19.7 | 17.1 | 11.5 | – | – |
Western part of the lake, near Balkhash City | ||||||||||||
0 | – | 0.0 | 0.8 | 6.7 | 13.3 | 20.5 | 24.7 | 22.7 | 16.6 | 7.8 | 2.0 | – |
3 (near the bottom) |
– | 0.3 | 2.2 | 6.5 | 13.1 | 19.6 | 24.1 | 22.6 | 16.5 | 7.4 | 2.0 | – |
Flora and fauna
The shores of the lake contain individual
The lake used to have a rich fauna, but since 1970,
Abundant and dense reeds in the southern part of the lake, especially in the delta of the Ili River, served as a haven for birds and animals. Changes in the water level led to the degradation of the delta – since 1970, its area decreased from 3,046 to 1,876 km2, reducing wetlands and riparian forests which were inhabited by birds and animals. Land development, application of
Balkhash is also the habitat of 120 types of bird, including
Cities and economy
In 2005, 3.3 million people lived in the basin of the Lake Balkhash, including residents of Almaty – the largest city of Kazakhstan.[26] The largest city on the lake is Balkhash with 66,724 inhabitants (2010).[27] It is on the northern shore and has a prominent mining and metallurgy plant. A large copper deposit was discovered in the area in 1928–1930 and is being developed in the villages north of the lake. Part of the motorway between Bishkek and Karaganda runs along the western shore of the lake. The western shore also hosts military installations built during the Soviet era, such as radar missile warning systems. The southern shore is almost unpopulated and has only a few villages. The nature and wild life of the lake attract tourists, and there are several resorts on the lake.[28] In 2021, Lake Balkhash was selected as one of the top 10 tourist destinations in the country of Kazakhstan. [29]
Fishing
The economic importance of the lake is mostly in its fishing industry. Systematic breeding of fish began in 1930;[2] the annual catch was 20 thousand tonnes in 1952,[10] it increased to 30 thousands in the 1960s and included up to 70% of valuable species. However, by the 1990s production fell to 6,600 tonnes per year with only 49 tonnes of valuable breeds. The decline is attributed to several factors, including the halt of reproduction programs, poaching and decline in water level and quality.[19]
Energy projects
In 1970, the 364-
Energy supply to the south-eastern part of Kazakhstan is an old problem, with numerous solutions proposed in the past. Proposals to build power plants on Balkhash in the late 1970s and 1980s stalled, and the initiative to erect a nuclear plant near the village Ulken[31] met strong opposition from environmentalists and residents.[32] Therefore, in 2008, the Kazakh government reconsidered and announced building of a Balkhash Thermal Power Plant.[33][34]
There is a regular ship navigation through the lake, the mouth of the Ili River, and the Kapchagay Reservoir. The main piers are Burylbaytal and Burlitobe.[18] The ships[35] are relatively light due to the limiting depth in some parts of the lake; they are used mainly for catching fish and transporting fish and construction materials. The total length of the waterway is 978 km, and the navigation period is 210 days/year.
Navigation on the Lake Balkhash originated in 1931 with the arrival of two steamers and three barges. By 1996, up to 120,000 tonnes of building materials, 3,500 tonnes of ore, 45 tonnes of fish, 20 tonnes of melons and 3,500 passengers were transported on Balkhash (per year). During 2004 there were 1000 passengers and 43 tonnes of fish.
In 2004, the local fleets consisted of 87 vessels, including 7 passenger ships, 14 cargo barges and 15 tugboats. The government projected that 2012 would see in the Ili-Balkhash basin 233,000 tonnes of construction materials, at least 550,000 tonnes of livestock, fertiliser and foodstuffs and at least 53 tonnes of fish. Development of
Environmental and political issues
Academics and government advisors fear major loss of ecosystems in the lake.[19] Unabashed industrial extraction would likely emulate the environmental disaster at the Aral Sea.[19] Since 1970, the 39 km3 outflow of water to fill the Kapchagay Reservoir led to a 66% fall in inflow from the Ili.[2] The concomitant decrease the lake's level was about 15.6 cm/year, much greater than the natural decline of 1908–1946 (9.2 cm/year).[20] The shallowing is acute in the western "half". From 1972 until 2001, a small salt lake Alakol, 8 km south of Balkhash, had practically disappeared and the southern part of the lake lost about 150 km2 of water surface.[15] Of the 16 existing lake systems around the lake only five remain. The desertification process involved about 1⁄3 of the basin.[37] Salt dust is blown away from the dried areas, contributing to the generation of Asian dust storms, increase the soil salinity and adversely influencing the climate. Increasing formation of silt in the river's delta further reduces the inflow of water to the lake.[19]
Location | 1997 | 2000 | 2001 |
---|---|---|---|
Gulf Tarangalyk | 2.38 | 3.70 | 3.96 |
Gulf MA Sary-Shagan | 2.56 | 4.83 | 4.52 |
Another factor affecting the ecology of the Ili-Balkhash basin is
In 2000, a major conference, Balkhash 2000, brought together environmental scientists from different countries, as well as representatives of business and government. The conference adopted a resolution and appeal to the government of Kazakhstan and international organizations, suggesting new ways of managing the ecosystems of Alakol and Balkhash basins.[20] At the 2005 International Environmental Forum devoted to Lake Balkhash, Kazakhmys announced that by 2006 it will restructure its processes, thereby reducing emissions by 80–90%.[26]
Contamination of Balkhash originates not only locally, but is also brought by inflow of polluted water from China.[citation needed] China also consumes 14.5 km3 of water per year from the Ili River, with a planned increase of 3.6 times that.[26] The current rate of the increase is 0.5–4 km3/year.[17] In 2007, the Kazakhstan government proposed a price reduction for sales of Kazakh products to China in exchange for reduction of water consumption from Ili River, but the offer was declined by China.[38][39]
See also
- Balkhash – the city at Lake Balkhash
- Korzhin Island
References
- ^ Lake Balkhash, International Lake Environment Committee
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Lake Balkhash". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
- ^ ISBN 1-56670-383-2.
- ^ ISBN 0-19-823384-1.
- .
- ^ Balkhash in Etymological dictionary of Max Vasmer (in Russian)
- ^ Soucek, Svat (2000) A History of Inner Asia, Princeton: Cambridge University Press, p. 22.
- ^ Lo, Bobo (2006). "China and Russia: Common Interests, Contrasting Perceptions" (PDF). CLSA Asia–Pacific Markets Special Report (May): 6.
- ^ Wiens, Herold J. “Change in the Ethnography and Land Use of the Ili Valley and Region, Chinese Turkestan.” Annals of the Association of American Geographers 59, no. 4 (1969): 767. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2561837.
- ^ a b c d e A. Sokolov (1952). "Central Asia and Kazakhstan". Hydrography of the USSR (in Russian). Gidrometeoizdat.
- ^ Narama, Chiyuki; Kubota, Jumpei; Shatravin, V.I.; Duishonakunov, Murataly; Moholdt, Geir; Abdrakhmatov, K. (2010). "The lake-level changes in Central Asia during the last 1000 years based on historical map". Proceedings of International Workshop on "Reconceptualizing Cultural and Environmental Change in Central Asia: an Historical Perspective on the Future.: 19. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h International Lake Environment Committee. "Lake Balkhash". World Lakes Database. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
- ^ ISBN 5-89800-002-X.
- ^ a b V.M. Kotlyakov. "Balkhash" (in Russian). Dictionary of modern geographical names. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
- ^ a b c d Guillaume Le Sourd, Diana Rizzolio (2004). "United Nations Environment Programme – Lake Balkhash". UNEP Global Resource Information Database. Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
- ^ World Resources Institute. "Watersheds of the World: Asia and Oceania – Lake Balkhash Watershed". World Resources Institute. Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved 2009-02-01.
- ^ a b c Institute of Hydrogeology and Hydrophysics Ministry of Education and Science. "Water problems in Kazakhstan". unesco.kz. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
- ^ a b c d e "Балхаш (озеро в Казахской ССР)" (in Russian). Great Soviet Encyclopedia.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Или-Балхаш — Концепция устойчивого развития (PDF) (in Russian). UNDP Kazakhstan. 4 November 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 2009-02-14.
- ^ a b c d "Water resources of Kazakhstan in the new millennium" (PDF) (in Russian). UNDP Kazakhstan. April 19, 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2007. Retrieved 2009-02-14.
- S2CID 128565175.
- ^ Olga Malakhova (September 23, 2005). "Save Balkhash we can together" (in Russian). Kazakhstan Pravda. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
- ^ "Lake Balkhash, Kazakhstan: Image of the Day". NASA Earth Observatory. December 1, 2000. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
- ^ "Ice Melts on Lake Balkhash, Kazakhstan: Image of the Day". NASA Earthobservatory. April 30, 2003. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
- ^ "Рогоз" (in Russian). Great Soviet Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
- ^ a b c d A. Samakova (2005-10-01). "The main problem of Balkhash Lake is poor water quality" (in Russian). zakon.kz. Archived from the original on 2018-03-07. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
- ^ "Қазақстан / Qаzаqstаn population statistics" (Entry Балқаш/Bаlqаş).
- ^ Kazakh News agency (2008). "Foreign guests are delighted with the Lake Balkhash: Tourism News" (in Russian). votpusk.ru. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
- ^ June 2021, Adelya Dauletkyzy in Tourism on 16 (2021-06-16). "Kazakhstan Selects Top 10 Tourist Destinations". The Astana Times. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Construction Kerbulak hydroelectric power, 49 5 MW" (in Russian). klimate.kz. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
- ^ Gulsum Kunelekova (2006-10-30). "From age to age" (in Russian). newspaper "Megapolis" No. 43 (307). Archived from the original on 2012-06-29. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
- ^ "Research: NPP Balkhash" (in Russian). COMCON-2 Eurasia. Archived from the original on 2009-06-24. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
- ^ Larissa Stoppel (2008-11-12). И ГЭС, и ТЭС, и на дуде игрец (in Russian). "Express K" No. 213 (16599). Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
- ^ "Project "Construction of the Balkhash Thermal Power Plant"". builder.kz. 20 October 2008. Archived from the original on 14 January 2012. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
- ^ "Balkhash – ships, ships, shipping". forum, photo. 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
- ^ Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated 26 September 2006, N 917. "On Approval of the Programme of development of navigation and safety on the inland waterways of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2007–2012" (in Russian). government.kz. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2009.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ N. Borovaya (4 October 2005). "Спасти уникальное озеро. Стремительно мелеет казахстанский Балхаш" (in Russian). Экспресс К, No. 186 (15844). Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
- ^ Ilan Greenberg (8 March 2007). "Kazakhstan and China Deadlock Over Depletion of a Major Lake". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
- ^ Jack Carino (April 1, 2008). "Water woes in Kazakhstan". China Dialogue. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
External links
- "Information on Balkhash's geography and biology". Archived from the original on 5 March 2001.
- Kazakh 'national treasure' under threat
- United Nations Environmental Programme details on Lake Balkhash
- "Central Asia: Kazakhstan, aid bodies work to save major lake" 13 March 2007 RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty