Itishpes

Lake in southeastern Kazakhstan

44°52′N 74°17′E / 44.867°N 74.283°E / 44.867; 74.283TypeendorheicBasin countriesKazakhstanMax. length19 kilometers (12 mi)Max. width7.2 kilometers (4.5 mi)Surface area230 square kilometers (89 sq mi)Average depth0.5 meters (1 ft 8 in)Max. depth1 meter (3 ft 3 in)Surface elevation340 meters (1,120 ft)Islands5

Itishpes (Kazakh: Итішпес; Russian: Итишпес) is a salt lake in the Balkhash-Alakol Basin, part of Balkhash District, Almaty Region, and Moiynkum District, Zhambyl Region, Kazakhstan.

The lake is one of a number of lakes in the region that are known as Alakol. The nearest inhabited places are Burubaytal, Balatopar, Aksuyek and Mirny.^[1]

Geography

Itishpes is an endorheic lake of the Balkhash-Alakol Depression. It lies to the south of Shempek Bay, the southernmost area of Lake Balkhash, northwest of the Taukum desert. The border between the Almaty and Zhambyl Regions runs roughly from northwest to southeast across the middle of the lake.^[2]^[3]^[4] The lake has five islands.^[3]^[2]

River Karasai has its origin in the slopes of the northern section of the Maizharylgan and flows into lake Itishpes from the southwest.^[1] In years of exceptional high water, when the level of lake Balkhash may reach 342.5 meters (1,124 ft) Itishpes lake connects in the northwest with the southern end of lake Balkhash.

Flora

The shores of the lake are low and the surrounding landscape flat and without tree growth except for reeds.^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b "L-43 Topographic Chart (in Russian)". Retrieved 19 August 2022.
^ ^a ^b Google Earth
^ ^a ^b ^c Итишпес Kazakhstan National encyclopedia. / General ed. B. O. Jacob. - Almaty: "Kazakh Encyclopedia", 2011. - 648 pages. ISBN 9965-893-70-5
^ The Origin of the Depression Lake Systems