Shalkar (Kazakh: Шалқар; Russian: Шалкар) is a brackish lake in Terekti District, West Kazakhstan Region, Kazakhstan.[1]
| Shalkar | |
|---|---|
| Шалқар | |
 Sentinel-2 image of Shalkar in 2021 | |
  Shalkar | |
| Location | Caspian Lowland |
| Coordinates | 50°33′N 51°41′E / 50.550°N 51.683°E |
| Type | brackish |
| Primary inflows | Sholakankaty and Yesenankaty |
| Primary outflows | Solyanka |
| Basin countries | Kazakhstan |
| Max. length | 18.4 kilometers (11.4 mi) |
| Max. width | 14.7 kilometers (9.1 mi) |
| Surface area | 205.8 square kilometers (79.5 sq mi) to 200 square kilometers (77 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 5.1 meters (17 ft) |
| Max. depth | 13 meters (43 ft) |
| Surface elevation | 17.5 meters (57 ft) |
The lake lies about 70 kilometers (43 mi) to the SSE of the city of Oral.[2][3] Shalkar lake is an important bird area.[4]
Geography edit
Lake Shalkar lies at the bottom of a depression located in the northernmost sector of the Caspian Lowland. It is a brackish lake bound by salt marshes on the northern side.[3]
The lake is fed by snow, as well as groundwater. It freezes in November and stays under ice until May. The main inflowing rivers are the Sholakankaty and Yesenankaty, having their mouths in the eastern shore. The outflowing Solyanka connects the lake basin with the Ural River basin and is mostly dry.[2][3]
Flora and fauna edit
Among the fish species found in the lake, bream, carp, tench, perch, pike, catfish and gudgeon deserve mention. There are reed thickets on the Shalkar shores and in the areas of the river mouths. These provide a habitat for birds such as swans, geese, ducks, flamingos, seagulls and herons, among others.[4][5]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "M-39 Topographic Chart (in Russian)". Retrieved 29 July 2022.
- ^ a b Google Earth
- ^ a b c Шалкар; Great Soviet Encyclopedia in 30 vols. — Ch. ed. A.M. Prokhorov. - 3rd ed. - M. Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978. (in Russian)
- ^ a b Shalkar Lake - BirdLife Data Zone
- ^ Словарь современных географических названий. — Екатеринбург: У-Фактория. Под общей редакцией акад. В. М. Котлякова. 2006.
External links edit
Media related to Shalkar Lake at Wikimedia Commons- Shalkar Lake - Kazakhstan rivers and lakes.
- Tourism and recreational potential of the salt lakes of Western Kazakhstan
