Lakes of the lower Turgay and Irgiz

Protected lakes in Kazakhstan

48°42′N 62°11′E / 48.700°N 62.183°E / 48.700; 62.183Area348,000 ha (3,480 km²)Created1976Operated byMain Department of Zapovedniks and Game Management - Republic of KazakhstanStatusNature reserve

Ramsar Wetland

Official nameLakes of the lower Turgay and IrgizDesignated11 October 1976Reference no.108^[1]

Lakes of the lower Turgay and Irgiz (Russian: Озёра в низовьях рек Иргиз и Тургай)^[2] is a protected area in the Turgay Depression, Kazakhstan. Administratively it is located in the Yrgyz District of the Aktobe Region.^[3]

Description

The Lakes of the lower Turgay and Irgiz protected area covers 348,000 ha (860,000 acres) of the southern sector of the Turgay Depression. It lies in the basins of rivers Turgay, its tributary Irgyz, and the Ulkayak, whose riverbeds usually dry up in summer. The area includes a number of lakes of different origins, many of which are salty. The lakes are roughly aligned in a SW / NE direction, such as the Kyzylkol, Ayrkol, Baitakkol, Kogakol, Zharkol, Zharmakol, Zharkamys, Keltekol, Shuzhyk, Karmakkol, Kogakol, Karpykkol, Maikol, Aidarkol and Aikol. The Saryozek river flows from lake Bokenkol.^[4]^[5]

In 1976 it was recognized as a Ramsar site. The area is part of the Kazakh semi-desert ecoregion.^[1]^[6]

Ecology

The Irgiz-Turgay Lakes is an Important Bird Area. The landscape surrounding the lakes is mostly semi-desert. More than 100 different waterbird species, have been recorded, with up to 250,000 individuals in the area at one time. Between two and three million birds fly over the lakes in spring and autumn.^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b "Lakes of the lower Turgay and Irgiz". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
^ Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands - Lakes of the lower Turgay and Irgiz
^ Kazakhstan, National Report, 2021 - Preparation of a report on threats to "Lakes in the lower reaches of the Irgiz and Turgai rivers" and the "Kulikol-Taldykol lake system" according to the measure on preparation of measures to mitigate negative anthropogenic impacts for conservation of the Ramsar and potential Ramsar sites.
^ ^a ^b "BirdLife Data Zone - Irgiz-Turgay Lakes". Retrieved 21 August 2022.
^ FEOW Irgyz -Turgai
^ Birds in Red Book of Kazakhstan and in IUCN Red Book