Lake Balkhash

The Lake Balkhash (Russian Балхаш; Kazakh Балқаш көлі / Balqasch köli to German "Swamp Lake " ) is an endorheic lake which lies in the arid steppes of eastern Kazakhstan ( Asia).

The up to 18,428 km ² lake is situated in a basin between the Kazakh threshold and the Seven Rivers country. He has an elongated, crescent -like shape. The highly dissected southern shore is characterized by numerous islands and peninsulas. Just as its size varies depending on the water level, the Lake Balkhash is up to 620 km long and up to 26 m deep; its water surface is at a maximum of 342 m. The average water depth is 5.8 m. The lake is divided into two roughly in the middle by a narrowing ( Uzun -Aral - road, width 4.5 km ): Its eastern part is a high salt content (> 7 %), the western part contains fresh water or slightly saline water (0.5 - 1.5% ) - depends on the fluctuations of the water level. The low salinity of the western part is caused by its large tributaries and by the lack of water exchange between the western and eastern part.

The largest city on the coast is Balqasch. Main tributaries are the Ili and the Qaratal. On the east and west shores of the lake, the major railway routes from Almaty, Karaganda and Almaty are proceeding according to Barnaul.

Ecological situation

As the Aral Sea, once the fourth largest lake in the world, also the Lake Balkhash from the dehydration is threatened. This is due to the fact that the Soviet Union a lot of water siphoned off in the 1960s by the tributaries to irrigate cotton plantations. 1970 Kapchagai Reservoir ( water area over 1,800 sq. km) was completed on Ili what the lake level could drop by a further 2 m. Add to that the strong urbanization of China's Xinjiang province and the corresponding increase in water demand, which in turn is covered by the springing there Ili. Given the traditionally poor relations between Kazakhstan and China, there is little hope for an amicable solution.