Akzhar (; ) is a

salt lake A salt lake or saline lake is a landlocked body of water that has a concentration of salts (typically sodium chloride) and other dissolved minerals significantly higher than most lakes (often defined as at least three grams of salt per liter). I ...

group in the Zhambyl and

Turkistan Turkestan,; ; ; ; also spelled Turkistan, is a historical region in Central Asia corresponding to the regions of Transoxiana and East Turkestan (Xinjiang). The region is located in the northwest of modern day China and to the northwest of its ...

regions,

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

. The lakes lie northwest of

Saudakent Saudakent (), known as ''Baikadam'' until 1993, is a town located in the Sarysu District, Zhambyl Region, Kazakhstan. It is part of Baikadam rural district (КАТО code — 316033100). Demographics According to the 2009 Kazakhstan census, th ...

town and northeast of

Kumkent Kumkent () is a village in Sozak District in Turkestan Region of Kazakhstan. It is the head of the Kumkent rural district (KATO code - 515643100). Population: The archaeological remains of the ancient Kumkent fortification are located to the s ...

. The Akzhar lake zone includes a

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

.Akzhar Lakes - BirdLife Data Zone
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Geography

The cluster of lakes is located in an arid, sandy sector of the

Muyunkum Desert The Moiynkum Desert (, ''Moiynqūm''), is a desert in the Turkistan and Zhambyl regions of southern Kazakhstan. Common plant types in the desert include saksaul, milkvetch, mugwort and sedge. The Andasay State Nature Reserve is a protecte ...

to the north of the northern slopes of the

Karatau Mountains The Karatau or Qaratau (, ) is a mountain range located in southern Kazakhstan. The mountains have deposits of phosphorite, lead, and zinc. Name () is Kazakh for the "Black Mountain" or "Mountain Range". The English name derives from accoun ...

. The border between the

Sozak District Sozak (, ) is a district of Turkistan Region in southern Kazakhstan. The administrative center of the district is the selo of Sholakkorgan. Population: It contains the titular village of Sozak. Geography The Ashchykol Depression is located ...

of Turkestan Region and Sarysu District of Zhambyl Region runs from the SSW to NNE across the lakes. The lakes are all salty and, although there are considerable seasonal changes in water levels, many are dry most of the year. In between the waterbodies there are sandy dunes or mounds, interspersed with alkaline patches,

salt marsh A salt marsh, saltmarsh or salting, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. I ...

es and

salt flats Salt flats, Salt flat, Salt Flats, or Salt Flat may refer to: Geology *Salt pan (geology), a flat expanse of ground covered with salt and other minerals *Dry lake, an ephemeral lakebed that consists of fine-grained sediments infused with alkali sal ...

. The lakes are scattered over a large area. They are numerous, but all are small. Akzhar, the largest individual lake, lies in the southwestern end, and lake Zhylkybay (Жылқыбай) close to the eastern edge, north of Igilik village. The Talas river reaches the northern end from the east and sinks in the sands. The

Shabakty The Shabakty (; ) is a river in southern Kazakhstan. It has a length of and a drainage basin of .Google Earth The river flows across the Sarysu District of the Zhambyl Region. There are two inhabited places by the riverbank, Saudakent near ...

river has its mouth in the southern part of the lake area, but its waters very rarely reach it.

Google Earth Google Earth is a web mapping, web and computer program created by Google that renders a 3D computer graphics, 3D representation of Earth based primarily on satellite imagery. The program maps the Earth by superimposition, superimposing satelli ...

''Nature of Kazakhstan Encyclopedia'' / General editor. B. O. Jacob. -

Almaty Almaty, formerly Alma-Ata, is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population exceeding two million residents within its metropolitan area. Located in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains ...

: " Kazakh Encyclopedia " LLP, 2011. T.Z. - 304 pp. ISBN 9965-893-64-0 (T.Z.), ISBN 9965-893-19-5

Flora and fauna

Most lakes have bare, barren-looking, shores.

Tamarisk The genus ''Tamarix'' (tamarisk, salt cedar, taray) is composed of about 50–60 species of flowering plants in the family Tamaricaceae, native to drier areas of Eurasia and Africa. The generic name originated in Latin and may refer to the Tamb ...

and, less frequently,

saxaul ''Haloxylon'' is a genus of shrubs or small trees, belonging to the plant family Amaranthaceae. ''Haloxylon'' and its species are known by the common name saxaul. "Saksaul" is a common Turkic word that entered Russian through Kazakh. Descripti ...

may be found in some stretches.

Festuca ''Festuca'' (fescue) is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the grass family Poaceae (subfamily Pooideae). They are evergreen or herbaceous perennial tufted grasses with a height range of and a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on ...

and

saltwort Saltwort is a common name for various genera of flowering plants that thrive in salty environments, typically in coastal salt marshes and seashores, including: :*'' Salsola'' and related genera within subfamily '' Salsoloideae'' :*''Salicornia'' :* ...

may grow sparsely in the land areas in between. The Akzhar lakes are an important place for the breeding, migrating and wintering of a number of bird species.

References

External links

*
Kyzylkol lake in Turkestan region, Kazakhstan.
Lake groups of Kazakhstan Jambyl Region Turkistan Region Important Bird Areas of Kazakhstan {{JambylRegion-geo-stub

Geography

Flora and fauna

See also

References

External links