Lake Sarykamyshskoe: description, history, interesting facts

In Central Asia, just in the middle between the Caspian and the rapidly drying Aral Sea, there is a drainless and inaccessible Lake Sarykamysh. Extremely interesting hydrology, as well as the history of the emergence of this reservoir. In addition, several interesting and eerie legends are associated with the lake.

Sarykamysh lake: the geography of the reservoir

Sarykamysh is one of the largest water bodies in Central Asia and the largest lake in Turkmenistan. Find it on the map is not difficult. The lake is located between the Caspian and the Aral Sea, approximately in the middle between them. On the physical map below it is marked with a red asterisk:

In geological terms, Lake Sarykamyshskoe occupies the central part of the eponymous trough. It looks like a flat oval depression, entirely covered with salt marshes and sifted by sands. The Sarykamysh depression, in turn, is the northern boundary of the distribution of the Karakum Desert.

Politically and administratively, the Sarykamysh lake belongs to two Central Asian states. About 70% of its surface (southern part) is in Turkmenistan, and another 30% (northern and western part) - in Uzbekistan. The northern shores of the lake belong to Karakalpakstan, the republic of Uzbekistan, and the southern and eastern parts belong to the Dashoguz velayat of Turkmenistan.

Hydrology, parameters and ichthyofauna of the lake

The name of the reservoir is of Turkic origin and is translated as "yellow reed". The coastline of the lake is heavily indented and mostly sandy. Long since the Sarykamysh lake was rich in a unique and unique animal world. In its waters is a large fish (carp, pike perch, catfish and other species), and numerous islands are full of game. Here you can find a moufflon, a hyena, a wild boar, a pelican or a flamingo. To protect waterfowl species in the region, the Sarykamysh Reserve was specially created.

Lake Sarykamyshskoe has the following parameters:

• Length - 120 km;
• Width - 40 km;
• The average depth is 8 m;
• The maximum depth is 40 m;
• The total volume of water in the lake is about 12,000 cubic meters. Meters.

The lake is stretched from north to south-east. The western shore of the pond is steep and steep, and its depth gradually increases with the advance towards the eastern shore. On the eastern side, an artificial canal flows into the lake, which is the main source of its filling.

Sarykamysh lake: the history of the reservoir

This drainless pond with bitter-salt water existed on the "body" of the planet not always. It is known that it was at the end of the Neogene and in the Middle Ages. And at the end of the XIX century the lake dried up again (you will not find it on old Soviet maps). All these changes depended on whether the Sarykamysh basin had taken the water of the Amu Darya or not. When the riverbed turned towards the Aral Sea, the lake dried up.

In Soviet times, vast expanses of the Central Asian republics covered cotton plantations. In autumn and winter, these plantations were thoroughly washed using a system of special irrigation canals. Water as a result of this process was saturated with harmful substances, washed out from the soil. The used "rinsing" water was diverted to deserted and uninhabited areas, where in due course a lot of poisonous reservoirs were formed. One of them was Lake Sarykamysh.

Filling of the Sarykamysh depression occurred in the 70s of the last century. In 1977, the surface area of the lake was 1500 square meters. Km, and by the end of the 80s it had increased to 3,000 sq. M. Km. Today the total area of Sarykamysh is about 5 thousand square meters. Km.

Ecological problems of the lake

How do people use the Sarykamysh lake today? Actually, nothing at all. After all, since 1971, its hollow was filled with poisonous substances (chemicals and pesticides), washed away from plantations of cotton. How many have accumulated in the lake for all this time - no one now can not say for sure. Nevertheless, in some areas of Sarykamysh fisheries are well developed.

The lake is inaccessible, and its banks are unoccupied. From the west and east over its surface, the chinks (ledges) of the Ustyurt plateau abruptly hang, and from the north approaches to it are blocked by Karabaur's dwarves. On the south side of the lake is fringed with the sands of the Karakum. In addition, in many areas (due to fluctuations in water level), the coastline has turned into impassable swamps.

Another serious problem of the Sarykamysh lake is the increased salinity of its waters. Now it is at a level of 15-20 ppm and is constantly growing.

In 2013, Turkmenistan launched a grandiose project to create a huge artificial lake Altyn-Asyr. The project allocated 4.5 billion dollars from the state treasury. About 50% of the flow of water to the future lake should be provided by a canal-collector supplying Lake Sarykamysh. What will happen to the reservoir in the future, in connection with the implementation of this "golden" project, is not exactly known to anyone.

The behemoths of Lake Sarykamysh

A variety of mystical stories and legends of the Sarikamysh lake began to be actively born in the mid-70s. How true they are is hard to say. But the ill-fame of this place rumors circulated throughout the Soviet Union.

So, seasoned fishermen told that they caught in the lake strange and unknown fishes. Hunters found on its shores smoothly gnawed saigas skeletons. Who could leave them there? After all, poachers have never cut their black booty so cleanly and neatly.

Later in the vicinity of Sarykamysh, people began to meet with a huge and strange monster, like a crocodile or a lizard. These predators with big round eyes suddenly jumped out of the sands and attacked single shepherds, travelers, fishermen or scientists.

Sarykamysh carkidons

Local monsters in the people nicknamed karkidons. Most often the Sarykamysh "Chupakabr" was described as a crocodile with a movable tail and very long paws. The length of the body of the monster reached two meters (another one and a half meters accounted for the tail of the animal).

The Karkidons mainly fed on saigas, sheep and mouflons. Sometimes they attacked people. Many assumed that these monsters arose as a result of mutations of gray lizards caused by huge doses of pesticides.

Did the carcadons really exist? Or was it just one of the terrible legends? Now it is difficult to say, because there is no evidence of their existence. It is believed that the fate of karkidons was resolved at a secret meeting of the Politburo in 1978. The mopping up of the area from the mutants was conducted secretly, with the involvement of the military. Although it is possible that several individuals were kept for later study.

Conclusion

Sarykamysh Lake is a large inland reservoir in Central Asia, on the border of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The last time the hollow of the lake was filled in the 70s of last century. Together with the water, a huge amount of harmful substances from agricultural plantations got into it, turning the lake into a poisonous saline sump.