The Urals are rich not only in natural resources, but also in water bodies. One of the pearls of the region is Karagaykul Lake (Chelyabinsk Region), located 65 kilometers from Chelyabinsk and 135 kilometers from Yekaterinburg.
Geographical characteristics of the lake
This body of water is territorially related to the Kunashak region and covers an area of about 1300 hectares. The length of its oval, slightly elongated basin is 6.3 km, and its width is about 4.8. The depth, as well as the area, is relatively small: on average it is only 4.2 meters, and the maximum figures reach 6.3 m.
The shores of Lake Karagaikul are almost everywhere gentle. In some places they are sandy, and in some places the sand is mixed with stone. At the bottom of the pond mainly silt. At a depth of more than 4 meters, placers of stones come across. Karagaykul - a lake with brackish water.
In full-flowing years, the contents of the Karagaykul bowl partially overflows into the neighboring Kinkul lake, which is located a little to the south and east. And a kilometer to the north is Urukul Lake.
Near the pond, the villages Druzhny and Coastal nest, and right on the shore on the west side there is a village that is the namesake of Lake Karagaykul.
Name history
By the way, the history of the name of this Ural reservoir is shrouded in mystery. Translated from the Tatar word "karagai" means "pine", and "kul" is translated as "lake". But there is no trace of pine trees or other wooded vegetation on the shores of Karagaykul. Where does the name come from?
According to one version, once a very long time ago a pine forest rustled here, which eventually disappeared under water, having managed to gain a foothold only in the name. But this theory does not have documentary historical evidence.
Another (more believable) version says that the name of the lake Karagaykul comes from the name of a nearby village. And she, in turn, was called so the Tatars who settled here a long time ago. They brought to Siberia a native word, which over time became its own name.
By the way, an interesting point: Lake Karagaykul Chelyabinsk region has more than one. A small pond with the same name is also in the Argayash region. And in total there are four lakes with the same name in the Urals! In addition to the above, one is located in the Kurgan region, and the second is located in the Republic of Bashkortostan.
Flora and fauna
Around Karagaykul, the area is quite deserted, there is no special vegetation. And the shores themselves are overgrown with the usual flora for such reservoirs - reeds and reeds. Especially a lot of them from the north, south and southeast. But in general, the Chelyabinsk Karagaykul lake can be attributed to weakly overgrown reservoirs.
As for the fauna, the fishermen have something to profit from. Crucian carp, perch, roach, pike, as well as carp and ripus are found in the lake, with which Karagaykul deliberately saturates since the reservoir fell into the hands of the tenant and entry into its territory became paid. The tenant artificially supports a large number of fish in the pond, launching young individuals there annually. Thus, lovers of sitting with a fishing rod can come to the lake almost all year round and be sure that they will not be left without a catch.
A fun feature of the reservoir and its environs is that here you can often find cattle eating juicy grass on the shore and reeds. There are many domestic ducks, chickens, geese, which have already become a familiar part of the fauna of Lake Karagaykul, like gadflies, constantly humming overhead in the warm season.
Rest by the lake
Intrusive insects, although they sometimes bother vacationers, do not affect their number in any way. People on the beach on warm summer days are always full. And this is not surprising. Karagaykul is a hospitable lake. In summer, the pond warms up well, the coast is covered with soft sand, the descent into the water is convenient. In the near future it is planned to arrange a special beach where sand will be poured in the coastal zone so that children can enter the water at a distance of 10-15 meters without fear of drowning.
Today, vacationers come here with tents, fish, swim and sunbathe, and in the evenings they cook fish soup. There are no organized bases on Karaygul, but in recent years the coastal zone has been leased, and therefore order is ensured.
Fishermen, families with children and people who want a break from civilization, this option will be very like!