Walk on the Sibinskiye lakes.

 "Dusk. Evening. Mountains in the spring.
Rocks washed with fresh dew.
In the moonlight flowing dress nature -
Like a beauty under a veil"

Saken Seyfullin. "In the spring." 1919. Translation by V. Vinogradov.

Sights of nature of East Kazakhstan.

The unique, largest mountain group of Sibinsky lakes, is located in the southern part of the Koktau mountain range, in the north in the center of the Kalbinsky ridge, 18.5 kilometers southeast of the village of Bazanbay, 28.3 kilometers southwest of the village of Asubulak and in 57.3 kilometers (in a straight line) to the south and slightly east of the town of Ust-Kamenogorsk in the southwestern part of the Ulan district of the East Kazakhstan region.
Sibiny lakes are also called Ablaykit lakes. Sibinsky cascade of lakes (from north to southeast in order): Sadyrkol, Tortkara, Shalkar, Korzhinkol, Karakol. From the east and south they are closed by a high ridge of a hilly configuration.
Its western slope is covered with dense grassy-shrubby vegetation, then, to lacustrine tree-shrub thickets, gradually lowering, an extensive mountain steppe meadow stretches. Water masses are split by a huge geological fault.
An unknown course falling into the Sibinka River is present in all lakes. The total area of ​​five lakes is 31 square kilometers. The lakes are located in low-lying mountainous areas: low mountains made of granite, from which rare pines and fescue, mountain grasses, shrubs and colorful meadow grasses break out on the chestnut soils of the mountains.
Sibinskie lakes are located 85 km from the city of Ust-Kamenogorsk, a 2-hour drive along an asphalt road. The path to the lakes is decorated with a picturesque landscape of granite mountain ranges. The lakes are located in the southwestern part of the Ulagansky district of the East Kazakhstan region.
The hollows of the lakes, closed on three sides, open to the southeast, where they are slightly spring-loaded by the slopes of the Ablaykitsky graben and separated by narrow ridges. The depth of the lakes is from 2.5 to 38 m.
More than 80 million cubic meters of ultra fresh water is accumulated in them. An unnamed stream flows through all the lakes. The lakes are fed by groundwater, spring snowmelt and a small river flow. Erosion and the structural feature of granite present in this area leads tourists to explore the bizarre forms of the mountain slopes that adorn the depressions around the circumference.
Depressions surround the lakes on three sides, revealing from the southeast side a view of the rising slopes of the Ablaikit Mountains, covered with a blanket of various herbs. The hollows around the lakes can be divided according to their narrowness, pointedness, and sometimes stunted, almost devoid of vegetation.
Sometimes there are destroyed springs, on which ordinary weeds and rare species of plants grow: sedge (Carex L), oats (Gramineae juss), pond (Potamogenon L), duckweed (Lemna L), (Callitriche L), valissneria (V a llisneria L ), cotton grass (Eriophorum L), lichen (Bryophyta) and many others.
Aquatic vegetation is represented by more than 30 species, some of them are included in the totality of wetland relic plants. These include: rhest (Potamogeton pectinatis), prilled leaf (Potamogeton obtusifolis) and bright (Potamogeton lucens L), sea mollusk (Najas marina), pemphigus (Utricularis L), duckweed (Lemna minor L) and ternate (Lemna minor L) and ternate (Lemna minor L) and ternate (Lemna minor L) and trifoliate (Lemna minor L) and trifoliate (Lemna minor L) and trifoliate (Lemna minor L) and trifoliate (Lemna minor L) and trifoliate (Lemna minor L) and trifoliate (Lemna minor L) and trifoliate (Lemna minor L) and trifoliate (Lemna minor L) and trifoliate ), yellow water lily (Nuphar luteum), (Sparganium L), archer (Sagittaria L), bird highlander (Poligonum amphibium), and others.
Rare herbs include four-cornered water lily (Nymphaea tetragona), which is on the verge of extinction, if previously they grew on all five lakes, now it can be found only on lakes Duisen and Ystykpa. The surface plants of these lakes are reeds Scirpus lacustris), common reeds (Phragmites cjmmunis), broadleaf and narrow-leaved cattail (Typha katifolia L), (Typha angustifolia L), sedge (Carex L), oats (Gramineae juss). In addition, various types of algae are widespread in the lakes - filamentous, diatomaceous (Diatomophyta), green (Chlorophyta).
The bottom of the lakes is mostly covered with charophyte (Charophyte). All these factors create a nutrient base for aquatic birds and fish. Flora in the surrounding area are mainly plants inherent in arid areas and anhydrous soils, the so-called xerophytes.
A large number of oat crops can be found here: feathery feather (Stipa capillata), bluegrass (poa trivialis), timothy meadow (Phleum phleoides), sedge (Carex supina). By variety: hemophilia (Sanguisorba officinalis), scabiosis (Scabiosa ochraleuca L), (Sossurea amara), yarrow (Achillium milifolium), muzzle (Echinops ritro L), large plantain (Plantago major) and lanceolate (Plantagoance lanceolate) (Plantago lanceolate) albiflorium). Shrubs of roses are also found here.
Carps and pikes are found in the lake. Wellness centers and private cottages have been built near all accessible lakeside areas. The northern coast is very picturesque and strewn with many beaches, which can only be reached by swimming or going down the mountains.
This way is very popular with tourists. According to unwritten laws, tourists maintain order in the area. The climate in the lakes is sharply continental. The average annual rainfall is 300 mm per year, of which 150 mm falls in July and August.
The average wind speed in the vicinity of the lakes is 2-3 m / s, the duration of the solar period 2500 - 2600 hours per day. The average temperature in January is -16 ° С, in July - + 19 ° С. The warm period lasts 210 days. A valuable health factor lies in the huge water area (lakes occupy 6.8% of the territory).
The maximum temperature in the summer season is + 35 ° C, in winter - -55 ° C. Such climate characteristics, combined with granite mountains decorated with pine trees and colorful grass steppes overhanging the clear waters of lakes, have gained popularity in these places and have become a favorite vacation spot for tourists in the summer season.
In future plans to organize a national park in this area. The lakes are home to roach, Siberian dace, pike, tench, common carp. Ducks nest, muskrat is found. Sadyrkol and Tortkara - there is a water four-coal lily (Nymphaea tetragona). Lakes lie in the southern part of the Koktau intrusive massif.
Ablaykit lakes are confined to radial discontinuities breaking through the Koktau massif. The average annual water level fluctuations in the lakes reaches 0.5 m. Roach, Siberian dace, pike, tench and common carp live in the lakes. Ducks nest, muskrat is found.
Aquatic vegetation is represented by more than 30 species, some of them are included in the totality of wetland relic plants.
Geographic coordinates of Sibinsky lakes: N49 ° 27'04.51 "E82 ° 37'50.19"

Authority:
http://oskemen.info

Photos by
Alexander Petrov.