Lake Balkhash, a large freshwater lake, situated in southeastern Kazakhstan in Central Asia,
Lake Balkash is one of the largest lakes in the world by surface area and volume. covering approximately 17,000 square kilometers in total surface area, it is the largest lake in Kazakhstan and Central Asia, third largest in asia after lake baikal and Caspian sea, and fifteenth-largest in the world by Total surface area.
Located at an elevation of about 341 meters above sea level, Lake Balkash is a part of the larger Balkhash-Alakol Basin, which also consists of Lake Alakol and lake Sasykkol.
Lake Balkhash is a unique lake because it is a mix of freshwater and saltwater. The western part of the lake is freshwater, while its eastern part is saline.
Saryesik Peninsula, which lies near the middle of the lake, divides the lake into two very different parts, hydrographically . The western part, which covers 58% of the area, is relatively shallow, and is filled with freshwater. The eastern part, which covers 42% of the area, is much deeper and saltier. These two parts are connected by the Uzynaral Strait, which is 3.5 km wide and about 6 metres deep. The lake's Total length is about 605 kilometers and the width varies from 19 kilometers in the eastern part, to 74 kilometers in the western part. Its maximum depth is approximately 26 meters , while its average depth is 6 meters.

Lake Balkhash has a total water volume of 106 cubic kilometers. It is a closed-endorheic basin, which means it has no outlet to the sea. It primarily relies on inflow from local rivers and precipitation to maintain its water levels. The main source of the lake is the Ili river, which originates in china and flows through China and Kazakhstan. It provides more than half of the total water inflow of lake balkhash and flows into the lake in the western part. The changes in the flow of this river have a significant impact on the lake's water levels. Like the aral sea, lake Balkash is particularly vulnerable to climatic changes happening in the region, and is actually shrinking since last few decades. One of the key reasons for the shrinking of Lake Balkhash is the diversion of water from the Ili River for various purposes, including agriculture and industry. This has reduced the inflow of water into the lake.
The ili rivers feeds the western part of the lake, while Small rivers such as the karatal, Aksu, Ayaköz , and Lepsy river feed the eastern part of the lake.


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