Location of the reserve

The borders of the «Ile-Balkhash» State Nature Reserve are bounded in the northeast by the sandy desert of Sary-Ishik-Otrau, in the southwest by the sands of Taukuma, in the north by the waters of Lake Balkhash.

Administratively, the territory of the reserve is part of the Balkhash district of the Almaty region.

 

Climate

The climate of the reserve territory is characterized by great contrasts of winter and summer, day and night, continentality and significant dryness of the air; the growing season is characterized by high temperatures, low precipitation, low relative humidity and strong evaporation. The main climatic indicators are given according to the Kuigan weather station.

In winter, this area is mainly under the influence of the southwestern periphery of the Siberian anticyclone spur, in which cold, low-snow and low-cloud weather prevails. A typical feature of winter is the breakthroughs of southern cyclones associated with the removal of warm air (Turanian, Iranian), which often cause ice. The minimum annual air temperature is in January-February.

In summer, the territory of the reserve is under the influence of the Central Asian thermal depression, which is associated with hot, cloudy weather.

In spring, with increased cyclonic activity, prolonged unstable weather is characteristic, due to frequent cold intrusions leading to frosts.

In autumn, the meridional circulation and the associated northwestern and northern incursions intensify.

The average annual air temperature in July has a value of +24+260 °C, and in January – 8-14 ° C, the average annual temperature varies between 6-9 ° C. The absolute maximum air temperature in the territory under consideration is observed in June-July and reaches +44 °C, and the lowest values are observed in February (-44°C). The average annual range of air temperature fluctuations reaches 38-40 ° C. The difference between the average highs and lows is 50 ° C, and between the absolute ones – 82 … 88 ° C.

The relative humidity is lowest in June-July and is 40%, and the highest in December-January is 80-82%.

The highest monthly precipitation falls in the spring months (April, May), the lowest – at the end of winter (February) and the summer and autumn months (August, September). In July, the monthly precipitation ranges from 8.8-23.6 mm, and in January – from 8.2-13.4 mm. The average annual precipitation ranges from 137.6-141.6 mm. Snow cover is usually established in mid–November – early December, but in some years it may not be observed at all.

The prevailing winds are the winds of the north-east and north directions, typical for all periods of the year.

 

Relief

The relief of the territory of the SNR “Ile-Balkhash”, formed as a result of the unity of the processes of lithomorphopedogenesis, includes the following types of relief: the modern delta-accumulative plain of the Ile River, the ancient Bakanas delta-accumulative plain and the abrasive-accumulative slightly undulating plain of the southern coast of Lake Balkhash.

The top of the modern Ile delta is located in the area of the 6th fish point. Here, the Ile riverbed is divided into three main delta branches: the eastern one is Zhidelinsky, the central one is Ili, and the western one is Toparsky. Each of them branches into smaller channels. The modern Ile Delta is characterized by numerous lakes of various sizes.

The ancient Bakanas delta-accumulative plain has a structure similar to the modern delta: channels of dry channels with riverbed shafts framing them, inter-channel wavy, relatively low plains, divided into flat depressions and flat watershed elevations.

An abrasive-accumulative plain 20-30 km wide was formed as a result of the advance and retreat of Lake Balkhash. In the abrasive-accumulative plain, the main elements are represented by flat saucer-shaped depressions with a diameter of up to several kilometers, separated by flat wavy watershed rises, numerous channels of delta channels crossing the plain. Phytogenic mounds are found in groups. Periodic changes in the position of the coastline are recorded by chains of dunes and dunes.

The modern appearance of the Balkhash region was formed during the Neogene-Quaternary period as a result of tectonic movements and processing of sediments of the South Balkhash depression. A.V. Timush (1971) identifies the following morphogenetic types of relief: Aeolian, lacustrine and alluvial plains.

The Aeolian plains are confined to the sides of the delta, the first and second above-floodplain terraces, and outliers. In the lower reaches of the rivers of the Balkhash region, five subtypes of Aeolian sandy plains have been identified: bumpy-cellular, gently hummocky, wavy-coarse-meshed, shallow-hummocky, shallow-rowed.

The lake plain in the southeastern Balkhash region has different lengths and varies from several tens of meters to 6-9 km. On the lake plain, there are: a primary lake plain with coastal ramparts and a bumpy lake plain with flat-bottomed salt marsh depressions. The coastal ramparts are of different ages. The first (modern) coastal rampart has a height of up to 2 m, is composed of lacustrine-alluvial deposits of mechanical composition and is formed on the beach strip by waves during storms. The remaining three shafts (late Quaternary) have mostly been preserved on concave sections of bays and stretch along the coast in three parallel closely converging ridges, the total width of which reaches 30-80 m, and the height above the water level is 4-5 m. The bumpy plain is composed of interweaved lacustrine-alluvial deposits. The diameter of the sand mounds is 5-15 m, the slope is 12-15 °, the relative exceedances are 1.5-3.5 m. The tops of the mounds form a single hypsometric surface. Flat-bottomed salt marsh depressions of various sizes are located in inter-mountain depressions.

The alluvial plain arose as a result of the activity of rivers and is represented by two subtypes: flat-rimmed river valleys and slightly inclined delta.

 

Hydrology

Lake Balkhash is one of the largest inland reservoirs in the world. The area is 19,300 km3, the length is 605 km, the width varies from 4 to 74 km. Its existence is due to the flow of rivers originating in the mountains of the Trans-Ili and Dzungarian Alatau. The total volume of surface waters formed in the basin is 28.85 km3/g, of which 22.87 km3/g is formed in the Ile River basin, 5.36 km3/g in the basin of the eastern tributaries: Karatal, Aksu, Lepsy; 0.57 km3/g — in the Ayagoz River basin and 0.08 km3/g – in river basins The Northern Balkhash region. From the total river flow of the Lake Balkhash basin -17.4 km3/g is formed on the territory of the People’s Republic of China, in the upper reaches of the Ile River.

The hydrographic network of the reserve belongs to the modern delta of the Ile River. Fan-shaped diverging delta channels form a complex territory. Previously, the single channel of the Ile River has now divided into three main branches: the eastern – Zhidelinsky, the central – Ileisky, and the western Toparsky, each of which branches into a number of smaller channels and many shallow lakes. The river delta is in constant motion. The reshaping of the hydrographic network, the general displacement is a natural phenomenon both in the natural regime and in the regulation of runoff. According to the peculiarities of the development of riverbed processes and the dynamics of the redistribution of runoff, it is customary to divide it into the upper and lower delta. The top of the delta is the area of the 6th fish point, opposite which is the source of the Topar bayou.

The upper delta is a hydrographic network, the sources of which are located from the top of the delta to the fork of the Kugala-Zhideli. The upper delta system includes the Ile duct. The hydrographic network of this part of the delta is simple and low–power – the total flow is no more than 20%. Almost all of it is located to the left of the main riverbed of the Ile. Of the existing right-bank channels, only the Zagotskotskaya has been preserved, a minor outflow of which reaches the Tersekpai channel (1-3 m3/s). The upper left channel of Topar 1 (Suminka) feeds an extensive system of Topars with a water flow rate from 8 to 40 m3/s. The only watercourse reaching Lake Balkhash is the Ile channel (10-50 m3/s). The general characteristic of this part of the delta is the masked watercourses, the immutability of riverbed forms.

Below the source of the Ile Sleeve is called the Jideli Duct – the source of the lower delta, where 80% of the run-off enters. Elements of the lower delta hydrographic network interact with each other and have a flow into Lake Balkhash. The lower delta, unlike the upper one, is a dynamic and unstable system. This is especially true of its left wing – the Kugaly-Iir ducts. There are many branches, entrances to the lakes, returns to the ducts throughout the channel. All ducts often do not have a continuous continuous channel, their water gets into open and overgrown lakes, from which other ducts are removed.

Naryn Duct – relict channel of Bakanas, feeds from system of flows Arystan and flows into lake Balkhash several sleeves of ducts Krypsaldy.

The Dzungarian Alatau is an underground drainage zone. The waters of the mid-quaternary and upper quaternary deposits are associated with fine and fine-grained sands and lie at a depth of 3-5 to 22-50 m. The waters of the mid-quaternary alluvial deposits are marked at depths of 2-50 m10 to 30-45 m. The waters of the upper quaternary modern alluvial deposits are marked at a depth of 0.5 to 5 m and are also bound by different- and fine-grained sands.