Characteristics of the water flow in the Uzynaral strait of lake Balkash

The ecological ecosystem of Lake Balkash is a unique natural complex, where 5 climatic zones are located on a relatively small territory, starting from the glaciers of Tanirtau and ending with the hot deserts of the Balkash region. This study examines the issues of dynamic changes in the water level and the associated area and volume of water in the lake. The level of Lake Balkash is one of the main indicators of the state of the entire ecosystem of the basin. Prior to the regulation of the flow, the lake level cyclically changed, mainly between the marks 341 and 342 m BS, recently due to the period of high-water content of the incoming river flow, the lake level is between these marks. The uniqueness of the lake is that it is divided by a narrow strait into two parts with different water compositions – in the western part it is almost fresh, and in the eastern part it is brackish. Field studies were conducted in the Uzynaral Strait in the autumn of 2022, the article presents the results of this expedition.