Arakhley (Russian: Арахле́й; Buryat: Арахира нуур) is a fresh water body in the Chita District, Zabaykalsky Krai, Russia. It is the 208th lake in Russia in water surface.[2][3] The villages of Arakhley and Preobrazhenka are located near the lakeshore. Arakhley is a locally well-known tourist destination and there are a number of resorts by the lake.

Arakhley
Арахле́й / Арахира нуур
Landscape of the Arakhley lakeshore
Arakhley is located in Zabaykalsky Krai
Arakhley
Arakhley
LocationVitim Plateau, South Siberian System
Coordinates52°12′10″N 112°52′30″E / 52.20278°N 112.87500°E / 52.20278; 112.87500[1]
Primary inflowsDomka, Gryaznukha
Primary outflowsKholoy
Catchment area242 km2 (93 sq mi)
Basin countriesZabaykalsky Krai, Russia
Max. length10.8 km (6.7 mi)
Max. width7 km (4.3 mi)
Surface area58.5 km2 (22.6 sq mi)
Average depth10 m (33 ft)
Max. depth19.5 m (64 ft)
Water volume0.61 km3 (0.15 cu mi)
Surface elevation965 m (3,166 ft)
FrozenOctober to May
IslandsNone
SettlementsArakhley

Lake Arakhley is located within the Ivano-Arakhley State Natural Landscape Reserve, a protected area of regional significance created in 1995, covering an area of 210,000 ha (520,000 acres).[2]

Geography

edit

Arakhley lake has a roughly oval shape. It is located in the Beklemishev Depression, at the southeastern end of the Vitim Plateau, west of Chita, Zabaykalsky Krai and lake Kenon. It is separated from neighboring Lake Shaksha by a low, 1.2 km (0.75 mi) wide landspit.

It is part of the Ivan-Arakhley Lake System (Russian: Ивано-Арахлейские озёра), which includes 6 large lakes and about 20 smaller ones. Arakhley is the largest of the group and it is also the lake having the greatest depth.[2][4][5]

There are two small rivers flowing into the lake, the Domka and the Gryaznukha, also known as Shaborta. The Kholoy stream flows out of the lake into Lake Shaksha. The 242 km2 (93 sq mi) catchment area of the lake belongs to the Khilok river basin, a tributary of the Selenga.[2]

 
Ivan-Arakhley Lake System. Lake Arakhley is roughly in the middle.

Flora and fauna

edit

The lake is surrounded by larch taiga, interspersed with areas of forest steppe and meadows. In the waters there are aquatic plants.[2]

The water of the lake is fresh and the main fish species in it are roach, perch, dace, pike, chebak, "bulus", minnow, crucian carp, peled, bream, carp and catfish. The fauna of the lake has suffered degradation in the past few decades and commercial fisheries have declined.[2]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Google Earth
  2. ^ a b c d e f Арахле́й - Water of Russia
  3. ^ "Озеро Арахлей in the State Water Register of Russia". textual.ru (in Russian).
  4. ^ Энциклопедия Забайкалья - Арахлей, озеро
  5. ^ "N-49 Chart (in Russian)". Retrieved 30 September 2021.
edit