Current view: Text account
Site description (2007 baseline):
Site location and context
The area includes Aschikol and Barakol lakes as well as the low Tuzdyk mountain massif in between, situated at the north-western margin of the Kazakh Hilly Land, 25 km to the north-east of Egindy in Ulytau district.
Aschikol is a closed, shallow brackish lake (with a maximum depth of just 2 metres even at times of deepest flooding) with a dynamic shoreline. The waterbody is situated in a distinct shallow depression (5 m) and consists of small marshy islets, spits and stretches of open water. Reed growth creates a mosaic of numerous bays and some larger areas of open water. In some areas there are patches of saltmarsh and waterlogged ground. The size of the lake is 6.3 x 3 km. Barakol lake is 14 km NW, 3.5 x 4 km in size and freshwater. It is mainly open water, with reeds along the shoreline. The soils are clay, rubble-loamy and aeolian.
The landscape consists of a valley studded with a number of low hills with outcrops of weathered rock and maximum heights of 50-60 m – for example Zheldyadyr, Koyandy and Tuzdyk. The last one is included in the IBA. The predominant types of floral commmunities of the inland parts of the IBA are that of steppe and semi desert, while the shoreline vegetation is of meadow-related types. The most numerous species are Stipa, Festuca and Artemisa. In some places, there is a modest growth of Lasiagrostis splendens and Caragana sp., reaching a height of 1 m, and, in the depressions and on the hillsides, there is Spirea sp., Rosa sp. etc.
Not far from the area, there are more lakes of smaller or similar size: Burshyktykol (3.5 km) and Kishkenekol (7.5km), but they are used by much less by birds.
In the breeding season the IBA supports an avifauna typical of dry steppes, steppe low mountains and waterbodies, but without important species. The lakes are situated at the south-western end of the Tengiz-Korgalzyhn Trough extending towards the area of Turgai Lakes and further to the maritime zone of the Northern Aral. Therefore they lie on one of the major migratory routes and are important sites for waterbird staging during migration.
The area is comparatively remote from human settlements and there are no signs of significant human activities except for the sparse network of steppe roads rambling nearby and small plots of cereals. There is a small amount of arable land, largely abandoned, about 300m from the western end of Aschikol lake, and small cereal fields near Barakol lake (these are used by migrating geese as foraging sites). In other parts of the site the only signs of human activity are infrequent and moderate cattle grazing.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Periodic drying of the lake due to natural hydrological and weather cycles.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
None.
None.
Unknown.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ashchykol and Barakkol Lakes (Kazakhstan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ashchykol-and-barakkol-lakes-iba-kazakhstan on 25/12/2024.
