Lakes

The data were provided by the following organizations:  Buryatsky TsGMS -- Branch of Zabaykalskoye UGMS; TOVR in the Republic of Buryatia of the Yenisey BVU; Siberia Branch of Rosgeolfond FGUNPP

The Baikal Natural Area hosts a large number of water bodies of various size, various origins with various natural functions, ensuring cleanliness of the Baikal Lake waters. The lowest hypsometric level hosts sorovoye lakes, separated from the Baikal Lake with wave and tidal sand and pebbles bars, flow-through and completed covered-up, connected with the Baikal Lake through the water exchange via groundwater passages, freely filtered via pebbles depots of bar-based "dumbs" (Vekkhneangarsky sor, Posolsky sor and many others). In the deep areas on the surface of erosion and accumulation of the terraces of the Baikal Lake, having emerged due to karst processes and multi-year frozen rocks melt-down, there are formed karst and thermo-karst lakes (a lake in the place of the hydro-lakkolyte in the estuary section of the Kuchulga River, etc.).  The same water bodies are widely spread at various elevations across the full territory of the Baikal water catchment areas in those locations, where there are layers of soluble crystal limestone deposits -- marbles and (or) soft multi-year frozen rocks (no-flow deep are of the salty Tazheransky lakes in the Olkhonsky Distrct, etc.). Across the valleys of the river tributaries to the Baikal Lake there is a multitude of food plains, genesis of which is caused through various causes or their complex, but more frequently -- karst, frost, cave-ins, mudslides, idrological process (bayou lakes). The highest level of the lakes is located near the watersheds near the highest Baikal ranges -- these are karst lakes within the circle-shape steep-slope bowls, supported by the end-line moraines of the later glaciers.

All lakes, as uncovered water bodies, sustain man-inflicted impact of various degree of intensity:

- lowest, mainly associated with air transfer of pollutants, sustained by the karovoye lakes near the watersheds of the mountain ranges that surround the Baikal Lake;

- largest -- lakes, on the shores of which there are settlements, particularly in the vicinity of the industrial enterprises.

Gusinoye Lake -- the largest lake within the Baikal Natural Area after the Baikal Lake.  The lake area is 163 km3, the maximum depth is 25 m. The multi-year water mass volume at the medium depth of 15 amounts to 2.4 km3. The maximum level fluctuations amplitude reaches 95 m.

The anthropogenic load at the Gusinoye lake is extremely significant: the largest in the Republic of Buryatia Gusinoozerskaya GRES -- Branch of INTER RAO -- Electrogeneratsiya OJSC has consumed 86.65 % of the aggregate water extraction level from the surface waters of the Republic of Buryatia. In 2012, the discharge of untreated warm rated clean wastewater, used to cool down the equipment, amounted to 388.9 million m3 (in 2011 – 334.1 million m3, in 2010 - 367.9 million m3, in 2009 – 288.94 million m3, in 2008 - 442.0 million m3).

There are locate other man-inflicted impact sources on the shores of the lake -- Gusinoozersk City, Railway Station and Gusinoye Ozero Settlement, deactivated coal mine and one-pit mine with used rock piles. In addition to the warm discharges of the GRES into the lake, the plant industrial plant discharges the standard treated water into the treatment facilities of the industrial and stormwater, as well as wastewater from Baikal Pribor-1 LLC and ZHEU Gusinoye Ozero LLC (into the Tsagan-Gol River, which inflows into the lakes). 

Based on the observations of the Buryatsky TsGMS, performed near the the station Gusinoye Ozera, the lake mineralization throughout the year was medium (278-385 mg/dm3). The lake water throughout the full time featured satisfactory oxygen regimen. The environment reaction was slightly alkaline and within the range from 7.94 pH up to 8.44 pH.

There was found the total iron, easily oxidable organic and resistance to oxidation substances in the amounts that do not exceed MAC. The lake water contamination for the contents of these ingredients shall be determined as typical. In terms of repetition of the MAC exceedance cases, the lake water contamination with total iron, zinc and phenols shall be identified as stable, oil products -- unstable.

There were identified the following maximum concentration levels: resistant to oxidation substances -- 2.1 MAC (19.03), easily oxidable organic substances -- 1.5 MAC (14.06), total iron -- 1.6 MAC (14.06), copper -- 4.0 MAC (20.12), zinc -- 1.3 MAC (10.10), phenols -- 2.0 MAC (14.06 and 10.10), oil products -- 3.2 MAC (19.03).

The lake water sustained in quality as compared with the previous year. The SCWPI value amounted to 3.14 (in 2011 -- 2.53). The lake water is contaminated, having quality class 3 "b".

In 2012, as compared to 2011, the man-inflicted load on the water body in terms of discharges demonstrated a significant increase (by 11.6%) mainly due to an increase of the rated clean water discharge from the Gusinoozersky GRES because of an increase in the electricity production.

Baikal's Sors Following the construction of the Irkutsk HPP as a result of measures to regulate the Baikal water level the shore-based sors are being endangered, separated from the Baikal Lake by the wave and tidal sand and pebbles bars. Many of those are the habitat for young omul (Angarsky sor, eastern part of which, in the estuary part of Higher Angara River, inflows into the Higher-Angarsky reserve, Cherkalovo sor near the Selenga delta, Posolsky sor).  The higher level marks in the Baikal Lake result in the washing down of the bars. Thus, gradually, because of the shores being washed down, there is a decrease in the area of the 14-km length and width of 50-400 m island-bar Yarky, separating the Angarsky sor from the Baikal Lake.

The information on the shore strengthening activities at the Yarky island, separating the Angarsky sor from the Baikal Lake is presented in the issues of the report for 2005-2008.

A lowering level of the Baikal Lake results in a decrease of the sor system with the uncovered Baikal Lake, which collectively results in an increase of average temperatures, intensive weediness of these water bodies (thus, Posolsy sor at the end of the 1970-s started to suffer from intensive weediness with various plants). The evacuation of the Baikal Lake above the values, overall specific for the eco-system sustains negative impact on the conditions and efficiency of the reproduction of the spring reproducing fishes due a direct loss of some of the reproduction areas and drying up of roe. There is a worsening in the growing period during the first stages of larvae and young fish of sig family (omul).

Other Lakes within the Baikal Natural Area Virtually all lakes in the Baikal Region, depending on the degree of their accessibility, are the facilities of amateur fishing, while the largest among them -- industrial fishing.

The lakes within the reserves, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Among those, the following shall be singled out:

- Frolikha -- picturesque flow-through glacial-originated lake, located on the north-eastern of the Baikal lake, in the mountains at a distance of 6 km from it. The lake's area is 16.5 km2, the depth is 80 m. It is the natural monument, retaining the relict forms of the glacial ear, included in the Red Books of the Russian Federation, Republic of Buryatia (fish -- Arctic char); plants -- Baikal borodenia, quillwort, awlwort, Rhodiola algida.

Arangatuy -- a lake located at the lower range that connected the mountainous peninsula Svaytoy nos with the eastern shore of the Baikal Lake, located within the territory of the Zabaikalsky National Park;

- the group of salty lakes of karst and freeze-karst origins within the no-flow Tazheransky steppes in Priolkhnosky Region on the eastern hore of the Baikal Lake within the territory of the Pribaykalsky National Park. 

Many of the lakes within the Baikal Region are the objects for recreation and water tourism. The favorite place of rest for the city citizens of Ulan-Ude City -- Kotokel' City (on the eastern shore of the Baikal Lake), city citizens of Chita City -- Ivano-Arakhleysky lakes and Areyskoye lake at the world (between the two oceans) watershed, city citizens of Severobaykalsk and Nizhneangars Cities -- Angarsky sor, Kicherskoye and Kulinda lakes, city citizens of Irkutsk, Baykalsk and Slyudyanka -- Teply lakes in the region of the Snezhnaya River (South Baikal). 

There were registered 18 cases of infliction with Hall disease at Kotokel' Lake from 2008 till 2011. The poisoning occurs because of the impact by the micro-cistin that is being generated ciano-bacteria that are reproduced within the water body eutophication. Since 2009 Order of Chief Sanitary Doctor within the Republic of Buryatia No. 4 dated 10.06.2009 "On introduction of limiting measures at Kotokel' lake" is in force, suspending the use of the water body for recreation, drinking water provision and utilities purposes. Based on the data of the laboratory research into the fish species and water from the Kotokel' lake, performed by the Veterinary Service in the Republic of Buryatia, in 2012 there was a decrease in 2012 in the high level of the fishes toxicity, which confirms the lake recovery in process. In 2013, the research is also planned into fish toxicity. In the event of obtaining the negative results, the quarantine limitations shall be lifted from the Kotokel' lake.

There is a large number of smaller salt lakes within the Baikal Natural Area. The majority of those are located within the restricted inter-mountain bowls -- Selenginskoye (sour-salty, sulphate, 0.62 km2, depth 0.5 m), Kiranskoye near Kyakhta City (salt, 0.2-1 km2, depth of up to 1 m); Borgoyaksya group of lakes (natrium); Tazheranskaya group of lakes in Priol'khonye on the western shore of the Baikal Lake.

The research into the medium and smaller lakes shall be performed within particular periods; there is no data on the observations on their current conditions.

Ponds and Water Reservoirs The smaller rivers and lakes host 43 artificial water bodies in the Republic of Buryatia, out of which number 30 water reservoirs and 13 lakes with the total volume of 54.8 million m3, including 11 water bodies with the volume of over 1 million m3. The water reserves in these water bodies amount to 41.5 million m3, which equals 75% of the overall water revers in the water reserves and ores. The water plane area at full reservoir level amounts to 19.9 km2.

The water reservoir on the basis of the Sagan-Nur lake is the largest water reservoir in the Mukhorshibirsky District of the Republic of Buryatia with the volume of 18.5 million m3, equaling 42% of the total volume of all water reservoirs. The water plane area is 7.3 km2.

There are not stations to monitor the water quality in the territory of the Republic of Buryatia.

There were established the largest water bodies in the Irkutsk Region: Irkutsk Water Reservoir based on the Angara River, total area of the water reservoir -- 154 km2, volume -- 47.7 km3, length -- 56 km, largest width -- 4.2; Bratskoye Water Reservoir, based on the Angara River (Irkutsk Region), partially located within the limits of the Baikal Natural Area, its total area amounts to 5,740 km2, volume -- 169.3 km3.  

Source: the materials of the state report on the conditions of the Baikal Lake and measures for its protection in 2012 of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation.