Lake Chany is a closed
salted lake in Russia located in the Baraba lowland, Novosibirsk Region; it is
the largest lake in the Western Siberia.
The lake is located
in five administrative districts of the Novosibirsk Region: Zdvinsky,
Barabinsky, Chanovsky, Kupinsky and Chistoozerny. The name of the lake originates
from chan (Turkic) – a large vessel.
The lake is a system
of stretches connected by channels and shallow areas, three of which are the largest
ones: Chinyaikhinsky, Tagano-Kazantsevsky and Yarkovsky, differing from one
another in the mineralization degree, area, depths, soils, and the fodder
resources.
The lake freezes
in the second half of October and breaks up in May.
The largest part
of the lake lies in the forest-steppe natural zone.
Lake Chany is located
106 meters above sea level. It is 91 km long and 88 km wide. The area of the lake
is 2000 km². Its shores are rather low and strongly intended,
overgrown with rush, cane, sedge, and bush.
The lake is believed to appear by the end of
the Ice Age, approximately 10-13 thousand years ago. Initially the lake was located
in the steppe; the first dwarf birches on its shores appeared approximately 5.5
thousand years ago.
The lake was first
mentioned in the Russian literature in the 16th-17th centuries,
that is, when opening up of Siberia started. They started to explore the water body
in the 18th century, together with occupation of the Baraba lowland.
16 fish species
inhabit the lake. The most widespread fish species is perch. The lake is also inhabited
by a large number of golden carp, European carp, ide, and zander. Roach, pike, and
bream are represented in average quantities.
Fish mostly winter
in Yarkovsky reach and in Lake Yarkul. Lake Yarkul is 11 meters deep.
As to mammals, the lake is inhabited by musk
beaver; while the forest-steppe areas close to the lake are inhabited by fox,
hare, roe, badger, corsac fox, and Siberian weasel.
The lake is rich both in animal and phytoplankton; 404 algae forms have been found.
The lake shores and islands are grown with birch, oak, bird cherry tree, arrowwood, aspen, hawthorn, dog rose, currants, raspberry, and fern. Wild peonies grow and bloom on some of the islands.
The basin of Lake Chany is a natural inexhaustible source of catch of wild freshwater fish, a native ecosystem combining flora, fauna and the aquatic world of several districts of the Novosibirsk Region. Nearly primeval, man-untouched, fish-rich places are of a special value for consumers in the era of globalization and urbanization. Like thousand years ago, people eating filet of wild river perch caught in Lake Chany enjoy a natural and wholesome product with all its characteristics preserved thanks to the location of the lake isolated from the rest of the world
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