Lake Balık ( literally "fish lake", ), is a lava-dammed freshwater lake in
Ağrı Province
Ağrı Province () is located in eastern Turkey, bordering Iran to the east and the Provinces of Turkey, provinces of Kars Province, Kars to the north, Erzurum Province, Erzurum to the northwest, Muş Province, Muş and Bitlis Province, Bitlis to ...
, eastern
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
. It has one of the highest elevations of the country's lakes.
Geography
The lake is situated on the district border of
Taşlıçay
Taşlıçay (, , ) is a town in Ağrı Province in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. It is the seat of Taşlıçay District.Doğubeyazıt in Ağrı Province. The west shore of the lake lies in Taşlıçay and the east shore in Doğubeyazıt. Its distance to Taşlıçay town is while to Doğubeyazıt town is . It is far from
Ağrı
Ağrı (; ) is a city in eastern Turkey, near the border with Iran. It is the seat of Ağrı Province and Ağrı District.
geology
Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...
and
geomorphology
Geomorphology () is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of topographic and bathymetric features generated by physical, chemical or biological processes operating at or near Earth's surface. Geomorphologists seek to understand wh ...
of the lake feature characteristics of
ophiolite
An ophiolite is a section of Earth's oceanic crust and the underlying upper mantle (Earth), upper mantle that has been uplifted and exposed, and often emplaced onto continental crustal rocks.
The Greek word ὄφις, ''ophis'' (''snake'') is ...
and
sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rocks are types of rock (geology), rock formed by the cementation (geology), cementation of sediments—i.e. particles made of minerals (geological detritus) or organic matter (biological detritus)—that have been accumulated or de ...
s. It is situated in the
Aras Mountains
Aras Mountains (), is a mountain range in northeastern Turkey. Also known as Haykakan Par (). It is located on the border of Erzurum, Kars, Ağrı and Iğdır provinces. It is a ridge at the middle of the Armenian highlands. It starts near sourc ...
at an elevation of about with respect to mean sea level, making it one of the highest lakes in Turkey. The average area of its surface is . The maximum depth is . The lake is fed by a number of creeks from the surrounding mountains and groundwater, and in turn it feeds Gürgüre Creek to the southeast. The lake lies in an area with a
continental climate
Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm to hot summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in central and eastern parts of the three northern-tier continents (North America, Europe, and Asia), typi ...
. Winters are harsh, and the seasons of spring and fall are short. Precipitation is mostly in the form of snow rather than rain. In the wintertime, the lake freezes and is covered with ice of thickness up to .
Biota
Particularly the southeast of the wetland is covered with reeds. There is agricultural land and meadows in close surroundings of the lake. The fauna of the lake is composed of diverse bird species. An island of size in the lake is the nesting area of velvet duck. The lake is also a
waterfowl
Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which i ...
habitat
In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...
of national importance, however, it is not under protection. The
trout
Trout (: trout) is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the ...
in the lake is consumed as food and also as a medicine. Observed wildlife in the area around the lake are the bird species eagle, hawk, partridge, wild duck, seagull, quail, woodcock and the mammals hare, fox, and wolf.