In Central Asia, just in the middle between the Caspian Sea and the rapidly drying Aral Sea, there is a closed and inaccessible lake Sarykamyshsky. Extremely interesting hydrology, as well as the history of this reservoir. In addition, several interesting and eerie legends are associated with the lake.
Sarykamysh Lake: geography of the reservoir
Sarykamysh is one of the largest reservoirs in Central Asia and the largest lake in Turkmenistan. Finding it on the map is not at all difficult. The lake is located between the Caspian and Aral Sea, approximately in the middle between them. On the physical map below it is marked with a red star:
In geological terms, Lake Sarykamyshsky occupies the central part of the eponymous basin. It has the appearance of a flat oval recess, completely covered with salt marshes and wooded sands. The Sarykamysh depression, in turn, is the northern border of the Karakum desert.
Politically and administratively, 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) is in Uzbekistan. The northern shores of the lake belong to Karakalpakstan, a republic within Uzbekistan, while the southern and eastern shores belong to the Dashoguz velayat of Turkmenistan.
Hydrology, parameters and ichthyofauna of the lake
The name of the reservoir is of Turkic origin and translates as "yellow reeds." The coastline of the lake is heavily indented and mostly sandy. Since ancient times, Sarykamysh Lake was distinguished by its rich and unique wildlife. In its waters there is a large fish (carp, pike perch, catfish and other species), and numerous islands are full of game. Here you can find mouflon, hyena, wild boar, pelican or flamingo. To protect aquatic species of birds in the region, the Sarykamysh Reserve was specially created.
Lake Sarykamysh has the following parameters:
- length - 120 km;
- width - 40 km;
- average depth - 8 m;
- maximum depth - 40 m;
- the total volume of water in the lake is about 12,000 cubic meters. meters.
The lake is stretched from north to southeast. The western shore of the reservoir is steep and steep, and its depth gradually increases with the advance to the eastern shore. On the east side, an artificial canal flows into the lake, which is the main source of its filling.
Sarykamysh Lake: the history of the pond
This drainless pond with bitter-salt water did not always exist on the "body" of the planet. It is known that he was at the end of the Neogene and in the Middle Ages. And at the end of the 19th century, the lake dried up again (you won’t find it on old Soviet maps). All these changes depended on whether the Sarykamysh basin of the Amu Darya accepted or not. When the riverbed turned towards the Aral Sea, the lake dried up.
In Soviet times, vast expanses of 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 leached from the soil. Used "flushing" water was diverted to desert and uninhabited areas, where over time a lot of poisonous water bodies formed. One of them was Lake Sarykamysh.
The filling of the Sarykamysh depression occurred in the 70s of the last century. In 1977, the surface area of the lake was 1,500 square meters. km, and by the end of the 80s it increased to 3,000 square meters. km Today, the total area of Sarykamysh is approximately 5 thousand square meters. km
Ecological problems of the lake
How do people use Sarykamysh Lake today? Actually, nothing. After all, since 1971, its basin was filled with toxic substances (chemicals and pesticides) washed off from cotton plantations. How many of them have accumulated in the lake for all this time - now no one can say for sure. Nevertheless, in some areas of Sarykamysh fishing is well developed.
The lake is inaccessible, and its shores are unpopulated. From the west and east over its surface, the chinks (ledges) of the Ustyurt plateau hang steeply , and from the north, the gorges of Karabaur block the approaches to it. On the south side of the lake is bordered by the sands of Karakum. In addition, in many areas (due to fluctuations in water level) the coastline has turned into impassable swamps.
Another serious problem of 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. For this project, 4.5 billion dollars were allocated from the state treasury. About 50% of the inflow of water into the future lake should come from the collector channel, which also feeds Lake Sarykamysh. What will happen to the reservoir in the future, in connection with the implementation of this “golden” project, is not known to anyone for sure.
Monsters of Sarykamysh Lake
A variety of mystical stories and legends of Sarykamysh Lake began to be actively born in the mid-70s. It is hard to say how true they are. But the notoriety of this place was rumored throughout the Soviet Union.
So, experienced fishermen said that they caught strange and unknown fish in the lake. Hunters found gnawed skeletons of saigas on its shores. Who could leave them there? After all, poachers have never carved their black prey so clean and tidy.
Later, in the vicinity of Sarykamysh, people began to meet a huge and strange monster that looked like either a crocodile or a monitor lizard. These predators with large round eyes suddenly jumped out of the sand and attacked lonely shepherds, travelers, fishermen or scientists.
Sarykamysh karkidony
People called local monsters karkidony. Most often, the Sarykamysh “chupacabra” was described as a crocodile with a moving tail and very long paws. The body length of the monster reached two meters (another half meter fell on the tail of the animal).
Karkidony mainly fed on saigas, rams and mouflons. Sometimes they attacked people. Many speculated that these monsters arose as a result of mutations of gray monitor lizards caused by huge doses of pesticides.
Did karkidony really exist? Or was it just one of the scary legends? Now it’s hard to say, because there is not a single evidence of their existence. It is believed that the fate of karkidonov was decided at a secret meeting of the Politburo in 1978. Cleaning the area from mutants was carried out secretly, with the involvement of the military. Although it is quite possible that several individuals were retained for further study.
Conclusion
Sarykamysh Lake is a large drainage 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 the last century. Along with water, a huge amount of harmful substances from agricultural plantations got into it, turning the lake into a poisonous salt sump.