Shalkarteniz

Until the end of the 16th century, the Shalkarteniz basin was regularly filled by the formerly more abundant waters of the Turgay river, which at that time reached the Aral Sea. In the centuries that followed the river became shallow and carried less water, so the Shalkarteniz could not overflow. Thus the Turgay stopped flowing south and the depression lost its connection with the Aral Sea. By the 20th century, at the time of the Kazakh SSR, the degradation of the forest cover and extraction of water from the Turgay and Irgiz rivers increased. Finally by 1960 Shalkarteniz completely dried up and the greater flamingo colonies stopped nesting in the place.

However, the snowy winter of 1969-1970 filled again the rivers of the Turgay Basin, causing early and exceptionally heavy floods. Such unusual floods happened again in 1971 and 1972. As a result, the lake basin filled seasonally and the flamingos returned, establishing summer nesting colonies as before.[https://silkadv.com/en/content/turgai-river Rivers of the Aktobe region - Turgay River][https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/zoogeographical-results-of-the-bicentennial-study-of-the-northern-part-of-the-asian-population-of-phoenicopterus-roseus Zoogeographical results of the Bicentennial study of the northern part of the Asian population of Phoenicopterus roseus]

Shalkarteniz is an extensive seasonal lake. It is located in an endorheic basin at the bottom of a plain at the southern limit of the Turgay Basin, north of the Turan Depression and {{convert|200|km|sp=us}} northeast of the Aral Sea. Arid areas surround the Shalkarteniz and to the south stretches the sandy desert of the Aral Karakum.{{cite web|url=https://maps.vlasenko.net/smtm1000/l-41.jpg|title=L-41 Topographic Chart (in Russian)|access-date=20 November 2022}}

The lake is fed by snow. The waters of the Zhyngyldyozek, Tegene, Turgay and Irgiz rivers fill the dry basin when the snow melts in the spring, turning it into a bittern salty lake. The seasonal lake lasts around three months with an average depth between {{convert|2|m|sp=us}} and {{convert|3|m|sp=us}}. In the summer it is usually a dry salt flat or partly swampy.

Lakes Karakol and Kurdym lie close to the south of Shalkarteniz. Lake Akkol lies about {{convert|50|km|sp=us}} to the NNE of the Shalkarteniz northern end.[http://bse.sci-lib.com/article123017.html Шалкартениз]; Great Soviet Encyclopedia in 30 vols. — Ch. ed. A.M. Prokhorov. - 3rd ed. - M. Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978. (in Russian)Google Earth

• Sor (geomorphology)
• List of lakes of Kazakhstan

{{Reflist}}

• {{commonscat inline}}
• [https://www.planetesoterica.com/shalkar-nura/ Shalkar-Nura -Tourism]
• [https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Index-maps-of-the-geographical-location-of-the-Kazakh-deposits-where-tapiroids-remains_fig1_266486243 Index maps of the geographical location of the Kazakh deposits where tapiroids remains were found]

{{Lakes of Kazakhstan}}

Category:Endorheic lakes of Asia

Category:Lakes of Aktobe Region