soda lake
A soda lake or alkaline lake is a lake on the strongly alkaline side of neutrality, typically with a pH value between 9 and 12. They are characterized by high concentrations of carbonate salts, typically sodium carbonate (and related salt complex ...
s, Barun-Torey and Zun-Torey, in Russia's
Zabaykalsky Krai
Zabaykalsky Krai ( rus, Забайкальский край, r=Zabaikal'skii krai, p=zəbɐjˈkalʲskʲɪj kraj, lit. "Transbaikal krai"; bua, Yбэр Байгалай хизаар, Uber Baigalai Xizaar) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai) t ...
, on the border with
Mongolia
Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...
(Coordinates 50°04'N, 115°31'E).
Geography and hydrography
The lakes lie close to one another and are connected by a channel. They are in a closed basin with no outlet to the sea. The size and volume of water in the lakes varies with the region's multi-decadal rainfall and climate cycles.Yu, Afonina & A., Tashlykova. (2018). Planktonic Communities in the Torey Lakes (Zabaikalsky Krai) in a Low Water Year. Journal of Siberian Federal University. Biology. 11. 306-320. 10.17516/1997-1389-0074.
Barun-Torey
During high-water years, Lake Barun-Torey has an area of 550 km², with a volume of 1.4 km3. The average depth is 2.5 m, and the maximum depth is 4.3 m. In low-water years the lake shrinks dramatically, and can dry up completely. The southern end of the lake extends into Mongolia.
Lake Barun-Torey is fed by two rivers. The Ulz or Uldza River (Uldza-Gol) flows into the lake from the south and forms a large estuary. The Imalka River flows into the lake from the west.
Zun-Torey
Lake Zun-Torey lies east of Lake Barun-Torey. During high water, the lake has a surface area of 285 km2 and the volume is 1.6 km3. The average depth is 4.5 m, and the maximum depth is 6.5 m. The greatest depth is in the northern part of the lake, where the lake bed drops steeply from the shore. The lake is round and has a single island, which turns into a peninsula when the water level is low. Lake Zun-Torey is mostly fed by the channel from Lake Baran-Torey, and does not dry as extensively or vary in extent as much as Lake Baran-Torey does.
Ecology
The lakes and their environs are home to 305 bird species (include 90 breeding species), 42 species of mammals, various reptile, amphibian, and fish species, and over 590 insect species."Torey Lakes". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Accessed 4 July 2021. https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/683
The lakes and surrounding wetlands are an important breeding, feeding and staging area for many species of migratory waterbirds, including several rare and threatened species. The lakes support significant breeding populations of several threatened bird species, including the
red-crowned crane
The red-crowned crane (''Grus japonensis''), also called the Manchurian crane or Japanese crane (; the Chinese character '丹' means 'red', '頂/顶' means 'crown' and '鶴/鹤' means 'crane'), is a large East Asian crane among the rarest cran ...
(''Grus japonensis''),
white-naped crane
The white-naped crane (''Antigone vipio'') is a bird of the crane family. It is a large bird, long, about tall, and weighing about , with pinkish legs, a grey-and-white-striped neck, and a red face patch.
Distribution
The white-naped crane br ...
(''Grus vipio''),
swan goose
The swan goose (''Anser cygnoides'') is a large goose with a natural breeding range in inland Mongolia, northernmost China, and the Russian Far East. It is migratory and winters mainly in central and eastern China. Vagrant birds are encountered ...
(''Anser cygnoides''),
great bustard
The great bustard (''Otis tarda'') is a bird in the bustard family, the only member of the genus ''Otis''. It breeds in open grasslands and farmland from northern Morocco, South and Central Europe, to temperate Central and East Asia. European po ...
(''Otis tarda''), and
relict gull
The relict gull or Central Asian gull (''Ichthyaetus relictus'') is a medium-sized gull. It was believed to be an eastern race of the Mediterranean gull until 1971 and was traditionally placed in the genus ''Larus''.
Description
The gull is 44 ...
(''Ichthyaetus relictus''). The lakes are located on
East Asian–Australasian Flyway
The East Asian–Australasian Flyway is one of the world's great flyways. At its northernmost it stretches eastwards from the Taimyr Peninsula in Russia to Alaska. Its southern end encompasses Australia and New Zealand. Between these extremes the ...
, and millions of birds pass through the Torey Lakes and nearby wetlands in spring and autumn. The lakes provide migratory habitat for the critically endangered
Siberian crane
The Siberian crane (''Leucogeranus leucogeranus''), also known as the Siberian white crane or the snow crane, is a bird of the family Gruidae, the cranes. They are distinctive among the cranes: adults are nearly all snowy white, except for their ...
(''Grus leucogeranus'') and threatened
hooded crane
The hooded crane (''Grus monacha'') is a crane native to East Asia and a frequent migratory bird in Japan.
Description
It has a grey body. The top of the neck and head is white, except for a patch of bare red skin above the eye. It is one of t ...
(''Grus monacha'').Simonov E., Goroshko O., Tkachuk T. (2018) Daurian Steppe Wetlands of the Amur-Heilong River Basin (Russia, China, and Mongolia). In: Finlayson C., Milton G., Prentice R., Davidson N. (eds) The Wetland Book. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4001-3_170
Traditional agriculture, fishing, and animal husbandry are important to the local population.
Protected areas
An area of 172,500 ha, including both lakes and adjacent wetlands and uplands, was designated a
Ramsar Site
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
**
Daursky or Zapovednik-Daursky state biosphere reserve was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1997, and covers an area of 2277 km2.
Threat
A 2020 satellite imagery showed Mongolian plans to build a dam on Uldza River which can potentially disrupt the natural water cycle and harm the fine balance in the ecosystem.
UNESCO World Heritage
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
Committee has expressed its concern on the unannounced construction.