Birdwatching tours to Lake Alakol.

"The Ala-Kul lake basin in our time (1840–1858) consisted of two main lakes - Eastern and Western. They are separated by a marshy isthmus about twenty miles wide, partly overgrown with reeds and dotted with small lagoons connected by a channel. At certain times of the year and in other years, the isthmus becomes impassable and is flooded to such an extent that both lakes more or less merge into one."

P. P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky. "Journey to Tien-Shan." 1856–1857.

Trip to Lake Alakol from Astana.

Endorheic, salty Lake Alakol is located at an altitude of 347.7 m. a. s. l. Lake, located in eastern part of Balkhash-Alakol Basin, extends from northwest to southeast. It is located in Alakol district in eastern Zhetysu region and in Urzhar district in southwest of Abay region.

The lake is located in the Alakol basin between the Tarbagatai and Dzungarskiy Alatau ranges. From the XIIth to the XIXth centuries, it had several names: Turge-Nor (from the Mongolian "bridge-lake"), Alaktagol, Alateniz, and Alakta. More than 15 tributaries flow into the lake, the main ones being the Udrzhar, Katynsu, Yemelkuysa, Yrgaity, Zhamanty, Zhamantol, and Tasty rivers.
The lake's surface area varies from 2,076 square kilometers during the lowest water level to 2,650 square kilometers. (including islands – 2,696 square kilometers) at its peak. The lake extends 95 kilometers from southeast to northwest, with a maximum width in the central part of 56.2 kilometers (average 25.5 kilometers), and a shoreline of 247 kilometers.
The lake's maximum depth, 54 meters, is recorded southwest of Kishkene-Araltobe Island. The greatest depth in Kishi-Alakol Bay is 16.5 meters. The lake's water contains significant amounts of salts – from 1,100 to 10,000 mg/l. The average depth does not exceed 24 meters.
The lake's area is 3,070.95 square kilometers (as of January 18, 2023). The water volume is 58.56 billion cubic meters, with an average water level fluctuation of 82 cm. The catchment area is 47,859 kilometers. Water transparency varies from 0.6 to 0.8 meters in the shallow part to 6 meters in the central part of the reservoir.
Lake Alakol is a salt lake. Water mineralization ranges from 1.2 to 11.6 g/kg. Its salinity is almost twice that of Lake Balkhash. Mineralization increases in the central, deep part of the lake, but near the river mouths, the water is desalinated. The water is brackish or bitter-salty, very hard (19-32 mg-eq/L), and has a chloride-sulfate-calcium-sodium composition.
The pH varies from 7.2 to 9.2 throughout the year. (Beremzhanov, Snegireva, 1963; Kurdin, Shilnikovskaya, 1965). In the 1970s and 1980s, increased levels of heavy metal compounds and pesticides were observed in the aquatic environment, zoobenthos, and fish, as a result of intensive use of nitrogen fertilizers and pesticides in agricultural lands adjacent to the lake from the late 1960s to 1995.
Three rocky islands are located in the central part of the lake: Ulken Araltobe, with an area of ​​25.25 square kilometers; Orta (Sredny), with an area of ​​170,852.14 square meters and a perimeter of 1,614.58 meters; and Kishkene Araltobe, with an area of ​​1.7 square kilometers and a perimeter of 6,221.53 meters.
In the western part is the Chubar-Tyubek group of sand and pebble islands. In the northern part is the significant Piski Island, which extends 4.2 kilometers from west to east and reaches a maximum width of 600 meters in the eastern part (as of January 18, 2023).
On the western shore of Lake Alakol, two collector drainage canals flow into the lake: the Maysky Canal, 50 kilometers long, and the May-Biryuk Canal, 25 kilometers long. The canals are up to 15 meters wide and up to 2 meters deep. The canals were constructed from the Tentek River in the mid-1970s during a period of intensive development of irrigated agriculture and the cultivation of beets, corn, and vegetables on the lake's southwestern shore.
In addition to collecting return water from cultivated fields, they are also replenished with drainage water, which typically flows from the vast meadow zone north and northeast of the village of Maysky. The discharge of the canal at optimal storage capacity at its mouth into Lake Alakol is up to 20 cubic meters per second.
From 1994 to 2002, In the marshy areas in the bays of the western coast of the lake between the villages of Rybachy and Gorky Klyuch, in the autumn, deaths from an infectious disease are observed in waders, terns, gulls, river and diving ducks, coots, and individual Mute swans and pelicans (Berezovikov et al., 2002).
The number of birds dying, especially waders and terns, is in the tens, and in some years, hundreds and thousands. Fifteen streams flow into the lake, five of which have a permanent flow. In the northern and northeastern parts, the Urzhar, Katynsu, and Emel rivers flow into the lake from the southern slopes of Tarbagatai, accounting for 86% of the total surface runoff into the lake.
In the southern and southeastern parts, the small rivers Zhamantkol, Yrgaity, and Zhamanty flow from the northern slopes of the Dzungarskiy Alatau, but they do not reach the lake because, lacking glacial feeding, their flow is characterized by short-term spring flooding.
Only the Yrgaity River, along with the waters of Lake Zhalanashkol, partially reaches Alakol through the marshy lowland between these lakes. Additionally, Lake Alakol receives runoff from Lake Sasykkol via the Zhenishkesu and Esinkina channels and the Urdzhar River, and from Lake Koshkarkol via the Uyaly River.
The colonies on the shores of Alakol are composed of loose clay or sandy loam. The southern, eastern, and northern shores have coastal cliffs up to 2-9 meters high. Deeply inland bays, bordered by reed beds and sandy-pebble spits, are important nesting sites.
Along the western, eastern, and southeastern shores, in depressions where groundwater seeps, swamping and the formation of extensive reed beds are typical. Alakol is characterized by cyclical rises and falls in water levels. Reed beds are widespread along the shores of Lake Alakol, forming significant tracts at river mouths and in bays.
However, in the southern and southeastern parts of the lake, they are fragmented and confined primarily to lagoons. The higher aquatic vegetation of Lake Alakol is represented by 35 species. Near-water associations include southern reed (Pragmites australus), lake bulrush (Scirpus lacustris), narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustirostris), umbrella rush (Butomus umbellatus), similar club rush (Bolboschoenus affinus), silvery-scaled marsh grass (Heleocharis argirolepis), and sedges.
Aquatic vegetation is most abundant in shallow bays, dominated by pondweed, arrowheads, hornwort, duckweed, and water lily. Charophyta are represented by 11 species, including Nitella hyalina, Nitellopsis obtusa, Chara fragilis, Ch. intermedia, Ch. aspera, and others.
Charophyta are particularly abundant in Chubar-Tyubek, Gorky Klyuch, and Zayacha Guba Bays.

Alakol Lake System.

Together with Sasykkol, Uyaly, Zhalanashkol, and other smaller lakes, it forms the Alakol Lake System. Its area is approximately 2,200–2,650 square kilometers, its water volume is 58.5 billion cubic meters, its coastline is 384 kilometers long, and the total area of ​​the entire Alakol Lake System is 48,000 square kilometers.
The average long-term water temperature ranges from 4.5 to 15.3 ºC (May-November), with a maximum in September. Wind speeds over the lake range from 2 to 60 m/sec. During the autumn-winter period, the highest wave height is 2-2.5 meters. Freeze-up lasts about 2 months (February-March).
The greatest ice thickness is 0.8 m (in February). Ice melts in April and early May. More than 15 tributaries flow into Lake Alakol, the main rivers being the Urzhar, Emel, Katynsu, Yrgaity, Zhamanty, Zhamantol, Tasty, and others. The highest water levels were recorded in 1908 and 1974, and the lowest in 1946.
From 1947 to 1974, the lake level rose by 7.18 meters, and its area increased by 600 square kilometers. km, and the water volume is 17 cubic km. Since 1975, a decrease in water levels has been observed. The coast is heavily indented with numerous peninsulas, capes, bays, and coves.
The bays of Bolshoy and Maly Balgyn are quite deep and are used as ports of refuge. In the center of Lake Alakol are the islands of Ulken, Kishkene Araltobe, Belkuduk, and others. The coastal climate is sharply continental.

Ice regime of Alakol Depression.

The ice regime of the Alakol Depression varies. Freeze-up occurs first on Lake Uyaly (in the first ten days of December) and last on Lake Alakol (in the third ten days of December). The maximum ice thickness is 80-100 cm. Lake Dzhalanashkol is the first to clear of ice (in late March), and Lake Alakol is the last (in late April - early May).
Ice cover lasts approximately two months (February-March). The maximum ice thickness is 0.8 m (in February). Ice melts between April and early May. Water temperatures in late May reach 7 to 15 degrees Celsius. Salinity in the area ranges from 1.2 to 11.6 g/l.
The water is composed of sodium chloride and sodium chloride-sulfate. The waters of Lake Alakol contain elevated levels of fluorine and bromine. Phytoplankton is represented by 58 species of algae.

Birds of Lake Alakol.

And, as archaeologists note, this unique spot on the map of the Abay region remains a kind of "Silk Road" for avian life. Birds, flying from north to south, stop here to rest. This is a true paradise for birds. There are also rare ones: of the nearly 300 bird species, 38 are listed on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
For example, relict gulls, pink and Dalmatian pelicans, egrets, spoonbills, black storks, and whooper swans. A fish listed in the Red Data Book, the Ili marinka, hides in the waters of Alakol alongside birds. Its remoteness from large cities and the somewhat harsh climate long protected the lake and its fauna from tourists. In 1994, the Parliament of Kazakhstan ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity, thus confirming its commitment to preserving its unique natural wealth.
A real step toward implementing these documents was the creation of the Alakol State Nature Reserve in 1998.

Origin of word "Alakol."

Regarding the origin of the name "Alakol," scientists suggest that it derives from a combination of ancient Turkic and Mongolian words such as "Alakol" (meaning "great lake" or "mountain lake"). Another clue to this unusual name lies in the varied outlines of the lakes that comprise the Lake Alakol water system.
Furthermore, the water in these lakes has an unusual color, at first glance. For example, Alakol is pale and dark blue, Sasykkol is light blue, Korzhynkol is grayish, and Kylytuz is yellow. Thus, the diversity of external outlines, locations, volumes, and colors led local residents to call Lake Alakol, where "Ala" means "different" or "various."

Climate of Lake Alakol.

In the Lake Alakol basin, the vegetation is semi-desert, consisting mainly of wormwood, feather grass, and various types of saltwort. Winter in the Lake Alakol basin and in the mountains up to 1,500 m. a. s. l. lasts from late November to early March; Winters here are moderately cold, with little snow.
In January, the coldest month of the year, daytime temperatures are typically around -5°C, and nighttime temperatures are -15 to -20°C (but frosts down to -25 to -30°C are possible); thaws are not common during this time. December and February are noticeably warmer than January, with daytime thaws possible during these months.
Precipitation falls 5 to 10 times a month, mostly as snow. A stable snow cover forms in early or mid-December and lasts all winter; its thickness usually does not exceed 10 to 15 cm, but can sometimes reach 50 cm. Due to severe frosts and thin snow cover, significant ground freezing occurs. In the mountains at elevations of 1,500 to 2,000 m and higher, winter (November to March) is snowy and cold; The weather is predominantly cloudy and windy.
Daytime temperatures typically range from -10 to -15°C, and from -30 to -40°C at night. Precipitation falls exclusively as snow – dry and loose, easily blown down slopes. However, significant snowfalls (1 m or more) accumulate in various terrain folds (washouts, narrow river valleys, etc.).
Low air temperatures and almost constant winds are difficult for the human body to tolerate. Spring in the basin, as well as in the mountains up to an altitude of 1,500 m, lasts from early March to mid-May; it is characterized by warm, clear or partly cloudy, but windy weather.
Daytime temperatures remain around 10-20°C, nights are cool, with frosts lasting until the end of April. Snow melts by mid-March. Precipitation is heavier than in other seasons, mostly in the form of torrential rains. Spring is characterized by dusty (dry) fogs associated with strong winds, occurring 2-4 times per month.
High in the mountains, spring (April-June) is characterized by unstable weather. The transition to summer is gradual and imperceptible. Days are cool, with nighttime frosts of -10-20°C. Precipitation most often falls as snow, and only in the second half of spring does rain occasionally fall.
Summer in the basin and in the mountains up to an altitude of 1,500 m begins in mid-May and ends in mid-September. The weather is hot and cloudless. Daytime temperatures range from 25-30°C (maximum 38°C), and nighttime temperatures are around 10-15°C.
Precipitation is very low. Relative humidity in summer is the lowest of the year (about 30%). High in the mountains, summer is short (July - August), cool, rainy, with moderate Warm days (20°C) and cool nights. Precipitation usually occurs as drizzle; snowfall is possible in the Dzungarian Alatau (in the ridge areas).
Autumn in the basin and in the mountains up to an altitude of 1,500 m lasts from mid-September to late November and is characterized by warm, dry, and cloudless weather. Daytime temperatures are normal; nights often have frosts. Precipitation in autumn is low, typically drizzle; snowfall is possible in the second half of the season.
High in the mountains, autumn (September - October) is cold, with cloudy and windy weather. Air temperatures drop quickly, and by the end of the season, cold weather sets in and snowfalls begin, accompanied by strong winds.

Winds on Lake Alakol.

A complex wind regime is observed over Lake Alakol. Maximum wind speeds over the northern parts of the lake reach 40-50 m/s, and over the southeastern and central parts, 50-60 m/s. Winds are most active in the autumn and winter, when wave heights can reach 2-2.5 m.
The flat part of the lake is characterized by northwesterly and southeasterly winds, which arise suddenly, most often during the day, quickly reach hurricane force, and blow continuously for several hours to 5-7 days. After this, the wind weakens somewhat and gradually reverses direction, followed by a calm for several days.
Such winds are most common in spring and winter. Calm periods during these seasons typically last no more than three days. Strong winds in spring and summer raise clouds of sand and gravel, and in winter they cause snow storms; these knock people and animals off their feet and impede traffic.
Foehn winds - warm winds from the mountains - are common local winds. Mountain-valley winds are typical in the mountains: at night and in the morning, they blow down the mountain slopes and valleys, and during the day, they blow in the opposite direction.

Geographical coordinates of Lake Alakol: N46°09'40 E81°41'04

Authority:
Berezovikov Nikolay Nikolaevich, Cand.Biol.Sci.

Photos by:
 Alexander Petrov.