Lake Balqash

Lake Balqash (Kazakh Balqash Köl), inland lake, southeastern Kazakhstan, about 341 m (about 1120 ft) above sea level. It has the shape of an irregular crescent, extending northeast for about one-third of the total length of 605 km (376 mi) and then in a generally eastern direction; the maximum width is about 71 km (about 44 mi), and the area is 18,200 sq km (7,030 sq mi). The Ili River, the principal affluent, enters Lake Balqash near its southern extremity. Other affluents enter the lake from the southeast and from the northeast. The southern shores of the lake, which has no outlet, are labyrinths of islands, peninsulas, and strips of shallow water. The narrow Uzun-Aral Strait joins the eastern and western halves of the lake, which are physically distinct. The eastern half is deeper and its waters are more saline than those of the western half. Extending south from Lake Balqash is the Semirechye Plain. The land west of the lake consists of clay plains, which have been made fertile by irrigation and produces cotton, grapes, and a variety of other fruits. Copper, mined at Kounradskiy, north of the lake, is shipped by rail to the town of Balqash, on the shore of the lake, where the copper is smelted and refined. The lake's level has declined by more than 2 m (more than 6 ft) since 1970, when the Qapshaghay dam on the Ili River was completed.