Tyuntyugur (Kazakh: Тімтуір; Russian: Тюнтюгур) is a lake in the Kostanay Region, Kazakhstan.[1]

Tyuntyugur
Тімтуір / Тюнтюгур
Sentinel-2 image of Tyuntyugur and Zhanshura lakes in 2022.
Tyuntyugur is located in Kazakhstan
Tyuntyugur
Tyuntyugur
LocationTurgay Basin
Coordinates52°41′N 65°50′E / 52.683°N 65.833°E / 52.683; 65.833
Typeendorheic
Primary inflowsTyuntyugur
Primary outflowsnone
Catchment area3,570 square kilometers (1,380 sq mi)
Basin countriesKazakhstan
Max. length9.5 kilometers (5.9 mi)
Max. width6.9 kilometers (4.3 mi)
Surface area54.3 square kilometers (21.0 sq mi)
Average depth1.6 meters (5 ft 3 in)
Max. depth3 meters (9.8 ft)
Water volume0.08 cubic kilometers (0.019 cu mi)
Shore length127.4 kilometers (17.0 mi)
Surface elevation203 meters (666 ft)
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Tyuntyugur is a steppe lake of the central sector of the Turgay Basin in Karasu District, Kostanay Region. By the northern shore lies the small village of Tyuntyugur and the administrative center of the district, Karasu village, is located 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) to the west of the western lakeshore.[2] Tyuntyugur is part of the Koibagar-Tyuntyugur Lake System, a 58,000 hectares (140,000 acres) Ramsar site, since 2009.[2][3][1]

Geography

edit

Tyuntyugur is an endorheic lake lying 6 kilometers (3.7 mi) to the east of the larger Koybagar lake. The lake has a regular, roughly oval, shape. Its water is brackish. The smaller and elongated lake Zhanshura lies close to the east. They are separated by a landspit that is at its narrowest in the area of the southeastern shore of lake Tyuntyugur, where the western shore of lake Zhanshura is only 1 kilometer (0.62 mi) away. The Tyuntyugur river flows from the south into the southern end of the lake.[2][1]

The eastern shore of lake Tyuntyugur is bound by about 4.5 meters (15 ft) high cliffs, while the southern coastline is flat and muddy. The lake is fed by snow and freezes every winter, shrinking significantly in years of drought. Tyuntyugur is surrounded by agricultural fields and its water is used for irrigation, which contributes to increasing siltation.[4]

Fauna

edit

The lake is part of the Koybagar-Tyuntyugur lake group. It is a critical site for nesting, migration and molting of 39 waterfowl and wetland bird species, such as the greylag goose, mallard, gadwall, garganey, common pochard, tufted duck and Eurasian coot.[5] 13 species of birds that visit the lake are listed as critically endangered, such as the siberian crane and the gyrfalcon.[6] There are ten different fish species in the lake, including perch and pike.[7]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c "N-41 Topographic Chart (in Russian)". Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Google Earth
  3. ^ Koibagar-Tyuntyugur Lake System
  4. ^ Kazakhstan National encyclopedia / Chief editor A. Nysanbayev - Almaty " Kazakh encyclopedia" General editor, 1998 ISBN 5-89800-123-9 , volume VIII
  5. ^ Birds of Kazakhstan: new and interesting data, part 2
  6. ^ Tyuntyugur-Zhanshura Lake System | Siberian Crane
  7. ^ "Современный состав ихтиофауны Капшагайского водохранилища и реки Или" (PDF). Retrieved 2022-08-15.
edit