Song-Köl ( ky, Соң-Көл, , also Соңкөл ''Songköl'', literally "following lake", russian: Сон-Куль, Son-Kul', also ) is an alpine lake in northern

Naryn Region Naryn Region ( ky, Нарын облусу, Naryn oblusu; russian: Нарынская область, Narynskaya oblast) is the largest region ('' oblus'') of Kyrgyzstan. It is located in the east of the country and borders with Chüy Region in ...

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the ea ...

. It lies at an altitude of 3016 m, and has an area of about 270 km² and volume of 2.64 km³. The lake's maximum length is 29 km, breadth about 18 km, and the deepest point is 13.2 m. It is the second largest lake in Kyrgyzstan after

Issyk-Kul Issyk-Kul (also Ysyk-Köl, ky, Ысык-Көл, lit=warm lake, translit=Ysyk-Köl, , zh, 伊塞克湖) is an endorheic lake (i.e., without outflow) in the Northern Tian Shan mountains in Eastern Kyrgyzstan. It is the seventh-deepest lake i ...

, and the largest fresh water lake in Kyrgyzstan.

Geography

High altitude Song-Köl belongs to the

Naryn Naryn ( ky, Нарын, translit=Naryn, Mongolian : Нарийн, Nariin, Traditional Mongolian ᠨᠠᠷᠢᠨ) is the regional administrative center of Naryn Region in central Kyrgyzstan. Its area is , and its estimated population was 41,17 ...

river basin. The lake sits in the central part of Song-Köl Valley surrounded by

Songköl Too Songköl Too (Kyrgyz: Соңкөл тоосу) is a range in the Internal Tien-Shan that arcuately frames Songköl Valley from the north and separates Songköl Valley with Song Kol Lake from Jumgal Valley, and Telek Valley. It is located in Jum ...

ridge from the north, and Borbor Alabas and Moldo Too mountains from the south. Hydrologically, the Song-Köl basin is characterized by poorly developed surface stream flows, and substantial subsurface flow. Four perennial rivers - Kumbel, Aktash, Tashdöbö, and Karakeche - disgorge themselves into the lake. In the south-east, the structural high is cut through by the river Kajyrty (in its upper course also called ''Song-Köl'') that flows into the Naryn.

Environment

Climate

The mean temperature in the lake basin is with mean temperature of in January, and in July. Annual precipitation averages 300–400 mm from April to October, and 100–150 mm from November to March. Snow cover in the lake basin persists for 180 to 200 days a year. In winter the lake surface freezes, the ice becoming as much as 1-1.2 m thick. The ice on the Song-Köl begins to thaw in the middle or at the end of April, and completely disappears by late May.

Ecology

In 2011, Song-Köl was designated by Kyrgyzstan as its third Wetland of International Importance for the Ramsar List. Since 1998, a section of the lake and its shore (3,400 ha land, 5,200 ha water) is protected as part of the Karatal-Japyryk Nature Reserve.

History

There are several signs of nomadic life from the earlier times in the Son Kul valley. Ancient petroglyphs can be found east from the lake and there are round stone settings that have similarities with the ones found in Mongolia and Altai area. Several different sized burial mounds can be also found around the lake.

References

{{Lakes of Kyrgyzstan Lakes of Kyrgyzstan Mountain lakes Ramsar sites in Kyrgyzstan