Map of the Month: Aral Sea, Golden Age Lake, and Irgiz-Turgay Basin
Map boundaries: 40 to 50 degrees North; 55 to 66 degrees East
Countries: Kazakhstan (Aktobe, Atyrau, Karagandy, Kostanay, Kyzylorda, and Mangystau), Russia (Baykonur), Turkmenistan (Ahal, Balkan, Dashoguz, and Lebap), and Uzbekistan (Bukhara, Karakalpakstan Republic, Samarqand, and Xorezm)
Overview
The central Asian desert landscapes covered by this map area are drained by streams which flow into closed basins. The fate of two bodies of water and two rivers depend on decisions being made by three countries—Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. The Aral River is shrinking due to diversion of its two sources of water—the Syr and Amu rivers. The area of the formerly freshwater to brackish “sea” shown on most maps is now inaccurate. Most of the water from the Amu River in Turkmenistan is diverted for irrigation. The drainage is collected in a series of canals and ultimately flows to the site of the former Kara Salt Lake, or to Sarykamish Lake, also in Turkmenistan. The Kara Salt Lake has been renamed Golden Age Lake in anticipation of it successfully collecting the drainage water. The Amu River no longer flows into the Aral Sea in Karakalpakstan. The irrigation around Dashoguz has saturated the ground and brought salt to the surface throughout the region. Numerous saline lakes have formed from the saturated ground. It is hoped that the drainage scheme will cause the water table to drop, allowing for reclamation of saline soils.
Uzbekistan also plans to build a drainage canal from the Xorezm (Khorezm) region to the Aral Sea. Some water from the Syr River still reaches the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan. In order to try to salvage part of the former body of water, the Kok-Aral Dam diverts water to the North Aral Sea, a smaller body of water. It is believed that a smaller lake could be supported by the current inflows, and that a fishing industry could be revived here.
Outside of the deserts, the land gradually transitions to grassland in the northwest, where the foothills of the Ural Mountains extend southward into the map area, and to the southeast, where the foothills of the Tien Shan Mountains extend into the area. The northeastern area is dominated by another closed basin, that of the Irgiz-Turgay river drainages. Both rivers drain south from the Turgay Plateau to the north of the map area.
In addition to the large canals and irrigation works using water from the Amu and Syr rivers, other notable features covered by the map include the Russian space launch center at Baykonur and the former Soviet bioweapons laboratory (Vozrozhdeniya Island) in the Aral Sea.
Ecoregions and Provinces/Political Subdivisions
(Palearctic Biome)
Temperate Grasslands, Savannas and Shrublands
PA 801, Alai-Western Tian Shan steppe. Foothills and low mountains with tall grasses and forests of juniper, pistachio, almond, and maple. Found in Uzbekistan—Navoiy and Samarqand.
PA 810, Kazakh Steppe. Grasslands between the Ural and Altai Mountains. Many closed basins. Found in Kazakhstan—Aktobe.
Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
PA 1310, Central Asian northern desert. Clay, sandy, salt lakes, and stony desert areas with sagebrushes and halophytes. Found in Kazakhstan—Aktobe, Atyrau, Karagandy, Kyzylorda, and Mangystau; Russia-Baykonur; and Uzbekistan—Karakalpakstan Republic and Navoiy.
PA1311, Central Asian riparian woodlands. Thickets of trees interspersed with grassy clearings and wetlands. Poplar, willow, tamarisk, lianas, meadows, wetlands. Found in Kazakhstan—Kyzlorda; Russia-Baykonur; Turkmenistan—Dashoguz, Lebap; Uzbekistan—Buxoro, Karakalpakstan Republic, Xorezm.
PA1312, Central Asian southern desert. Saksaul trees, acacias, Salsola, shrub bindweed. Found in Kazakhstan—Kyzylorda; Turkmenistan—Ahal, Dashoguz, Lebap; Uzbekistan—Bukhara, Karakalpakstan Republic, Navoiy, Samarqand, Xorezm.
PA 1318, Kazakh semi-desert. Grassy plains and eroded plateaus, a transitional area between steppe and desert. Found in Kazakhstan—Aktobe, Atyrau, Karagandy, Kostanay, and Kyzylorda; and Russia—Baykonur
Freshwater Ecoregions of the World
Europe and Middle East Region
Temperate Floodplain Rivers and Wetlands
410, Volga-Ural. Other than the Emba, rivers do not reach the Caspian Sea in the area of this map. Found in Kazakhstan—Aktobe, Atyrau, Mangystau
Xeric Freshwaters and Endorheic Basins
450. Turan Plain. The most arid area of the Transcaspian region, generally follows the former channel of the Uzboy River and includes Ustyurt Plateau. Found in Kazakhstan—Mangystau; and Turkmenistan—Ahal, Balkan, Dashoguz.
Northern Asia Region
Temperate Upland Rivers
626. Lower and Middle Syr Darya. Found in Kazakhstan—Karagandy, Kyzylorda; Russia—Baykonur; and Uzbekistan--Navoiy
628. Northern Central Asian Highlands. Found in Kyrgyzstan—Batken and Tajikistan—Sughd
630. Middle Amu Darya. Found in Turkmenistan—Ahal, Dasoguz, Lebap; and Uzbekistan—Bukhara, Navoiy, Samarqand, Xorezm
Large Lakes
629. Aral Sea Drainages. This includes Sarykamish depression. The Aral Sea was formerly brackish, but these habitats have disappeared as the inland sea has evaporated. Found in Kazakhstan—Kyzylorda; Turkmenistan—Dashoguz, and Uzbekistan—Karakalpakstan Republic, Navoiy, and Xorezm
Xeric Freshwaters and Closed Basins
601, Irgyz-Turgai. Found in Kazakhstan—Aktobe, Karagandy, Kostanay.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Kunya-Urgench. Found in Turkmenistan—Dashoguz. The old town contains monuments from the 11th to the 16th centuries, include a mosque, fortress, and minaret. Ecoregion 1312.
Itchan Kala (Khiva Oasis). Found in Uzbekistan—Xorezm. Well preserved muslim architecture of central Asia. Ecoregion 1311.
Other Sites
Akjagaya. Found in Turkmenistan—Dashoguz. Zaunguz depression near Dashoguz Collector. Wetland birds. Ecoregion 1312.
Aksay Lake. Found in Uzbekistan—Navoiy. Brackish lake in Minbulak Hollow in central Kyzylkum Desert; wetland birds. Ecoregion 1312.
Aktau Mountain in Tamditau Mountain range. Found in Uzbekistan—Navoiy. Mountain range inaccessible to people and cars contain gorges with shrubby vegetation, springs, and endemic species. Ecoregion 1312.
Assake-Audon Depression. Found in Uzbekistan—Karakalpakstan Republic. A depression in Ustyurt Plateau with brackesh water; Haloxylon forests. Ecoregions 1310 and 1312.
Baykonur Cosmodrome, administered by Russia, contains the launchpad for Russian spacecraft. The current rental agreement ends in 2050. Construction is scheduled to start in 2010 on a new facility in the Amur province of Russia to replace the current site. Ecoregions 1310, 1311, and 1318.
Bukantau. Found in Uzbekistan—Navoiy. Mountain range in desert with stony ravines, seasonal springs, and large numbers of nesting raptors. Ecoregion 1312.
Buzaubay. Found in Uzbekistan—Navoiy. Hilly region with temporary waterbodies. Ecoregion 1312.
Depmechay. Found in Turkmenistan—Balkan. Southern scarp of Ustuyurt Plateau and Kazaklyshor Depression, home of Saker falcon. Ecoregion 1312.
Donyz-Tau Cliff. Found in Aktobe, Atyrau, and Mangiystau, Kazakhstan. Clay escarpment of 200 me cliffs, Artemesia-Salsola vegetation, Saker falcon present. Ecoregion 1310 and 1318.
Gorelde. Found in Turkmenistan—Lebap. Area of floodplain forest on Amu River. Ecoregion 1311.
Golden Age Lake. To be located in the dry lakebed of the Kara Salt Lake in Dashoguz and Balkan provinces, Turkmenistan, the lake is intended to provide irrigation drainage for much of Turkmenistan. Decades of irrigated cotton and other crops has resulted in swamps and salt buildup, which have degraded much of the country’s arable land. Two feeder canals, the Dashoguz Collector and the Great Turkmen (Golden Age) Collector have been constructed to channel water into the proposed lake. A dam has been built to keep the drainage from flowing along the former Uzboy River channel into the Caspian Sea. Ecoregion 1312.
Goyungyrlan Lakes. Found in Turkmenistan—Dashoguz. Irrigation collector lakes. Ecoregion 1312.
Irgiz-Turgay Lakes. Found in Aktobe, Kazakhstan. Siberian flyway site; lakes dry in summer. Ecoregion 1318.
Kara Salt Lake. Found in Turkmenistan—Balkan and Dashoguz. Area consists of cliffs overlooking salt lakes. To be impacted by Golden Age Lake (see). Ecoregion 1312.
Karakyr Lakes. Found in Uzbekistan–Bukhara. Two large wastewater lakes with reedy vegetation, fed by the northern collector. A state nature reserve. Ecoregion 1312.
Khorezm Fish Farm. Found in Uzbekistan—Xorezm. Drainage from collector canals provides an important waterfowl habitat area near Khiva. Ecoregion 1311.
Koymat-Begarslan. Found in Turkmenistan—Balkan. Area of seteep cliffs and ravines on west edge of Chelyunkgyr Plateau. Ecoregion 1312.
Kurkuduk. Found in Uzbekistan—Navoiy. Northern foothills of the Bukantau Mountains contain wormwood, desert bushes, and habitat for Houbara bustard. Ecoregion 1312.
Mogodzhary. Found in Aktobe, Kazakhstan. Low mountains, rocky summits in a region of dry steppe; some aspen woodlands. Southernmost extension of Ural Mountains. Ecoregion 810.
Muskinata. Found in Turkmenistan—Dashoguz. Riparian forested area. Ecoregion 1311.
North Aral Sea (lesser Aral Sea). Found in Kazakhstan—Kyzylorda. The Kok-Aral Dam diverts water fromm Syr River into North Aral Sea in an effort to reestablish a smaller, more stabilized lake and return the fishing industry to the area. Breeding waterbirds. Ecoregion 1318.
Rogatoe Lake. Found in Uzbekistan—Navoiy. Large brackish lake in closed basin surrounded by clay cliffs. Ecoregion 1312.
Saiga Nature Sanctuary. Found in Uzbekistan—Karakalpakstan Republic. Preserves habitat in Ustyurt Plateau. Ecoregion 1310.
Sarmysh Nature Park. Found in Uzbekistan—Navoiy. Mountains covered by grass-wormwood, almond vegetation with plantations of walnut, mulberry and fruit trees. Petroglyphs in Sarmish Gorge dated to 25,000 years BP. Ecoregion 801.
Sarygamysh Lake. Found in Turkmenistan—Dashoguz. Waterfowl breeding area for Dalmatian pelicans and great cormorant. Ecoregion 1312.
Sudochye Lake. Found in Uzbekistan—Karakalpakstan Republic. Reservoirs in boggy area adjoining the Ustyurt Plateau, fed by the Kungrad collector. The most ecologically intact area of the lower Amu River delta. Ecoregion 1311.
Syrdarya Delta. Found in Kazakhstan—Kyzylorda. Lakes, reeds, and salt marshes. Ecoregion 1311.
Tekejik-Biynekyr. Found in Turkmenistan—Balkan. Steep cliffs under a clay plateau with Artemisia; saline depressions with halophytes. Homes of saker falcon. Ecoregion 1312.
Ustyurt Plateau. Found in Kazakhstan (Mangystau) and Uzbekistan (Karakalpakstan Republic). The northwestern area in Mangystau has 200 m cliffs overlooking the Caspian Depression. Ecoregion 1310.
Vardanzi. Found in Uzbekistan—Bukhara. Dense stands of saxaul in a state natural memorial. Ecoregion 1312.
Vozrozhdeniya Island. Found in Kazakhstan—Kyzylorda and Uzbekistan—Karakalpakstan Republic. Former site of Soviet bioweapons laboratory. Anthrax-contaminated area was neutralized in 2002. Ecoregion 1310.
Zhagabulak Forest. Found in Kazakhstan—Aktobe. Mature aspen-birch forest in Emba River floodplain. Ecoregion 1318.
Zholdyrbas Lake. Found in Uzbekistan—Karakalpakstan Republic. The former gulf of the Aral Sea and mouth of the Kazakh River contains brackish water, thermal springs.
References
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Beare, Emma, ed. 2006. 501 Must-Visit Destinations. Bounty Books.
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BirdLife International. 2008. BirdLife’s Online World Bird Database. Accessed 29/12/2008 at http://www.birdlife.org/
Edwards, Mike. 1994. Lethal Legacy: Pollution in the Former U.S.S.R. National Geographic 186(2):70-99.
Ellis, William S. 1990. The Aral: A Soviet Sea Lies Dying. National Geographic, February.
Olson et al., 2001. Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth. BioScience 51:933-938. WildWorld map: www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld
Pala, Christopher. Anthrax Island. New York Times Magazine, January 12, 2003. http://www.nytimes.com/ (accessed 6/19/09).
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