In the southern part of the West Siberian Plain, between the Irtysh and Ishim rivers, Lake Ik is located. To be precise, it is located in the Krutinsky district of the Omsk region. It is part of the system of the Great Krutinsky Lakes, which, in addition to it, also includes the S altaim and Tenis reservoirs.
Description
Lake Ik has an almost regular round shape, which is distorted only by the slight stretching of the shores from the southwest to the northeast. The length of the lake is almost 12 km, and its width is more than 8 km, the total length of the coastline stretches for 22 km. The area of the water mirror exceeds 71 sq. km, and the total catchment area is 1190 km sq.
The lake lies in a deep basin, the slopes of which are quite convex, and in some places even round. The shore is mostly gentle, only in some places steep ledges 4-5 m high make it difficult to approach the water. And near the village of Kiterma, steeps rise up to 6 m.
The coastline is practically bare for many kilometers, which is explained by the poverty of the soil and its active drainage. Only in some places there is a stunted stuntedvegetation (although the southeastern edge of the lake is overgrown with reeds), and trees are generally rare here. As a result, constant winds in a southwestern direction gradually but inexorably destroy the eastern and northeastern shores of the lake. High waves during bad weather also contribute to abrasion.
Lake Ik in the Omsk region has a flat but muddy bottom. Its depth increases smoothly, reaching its maximum towards the middle of the reservoir. After a mark of 4.75 meters in the very center of the lake, the depth again gradually decreases. Thus, the central part of the reservoir is, as it were, the top of an inverted cone.
Soil map of the lake
The soils of this object are not very diverse. The characteristic of the soil composition looks like this:
- sandy-silty soil - distributed mainly in the coastal strip at a distance of up to 200-250 meters. Has a slight smell of hydrogen sulfide;
- dark brown silt with various vegetation remains - found mainly in the western part of the lake at a depth of up to 2 meters;
- gray-green silt - covers the entire central part of the reservoir at a depth of 3.5 to 4.5 meters;
- clay silt with sand - prevails on the east side of the lake.
Water resources
The transparency of the lake fluctuates at around 0.50-0.75 m. Light penetrates especially weakly through the water column in the second half of July, when the reservoir blooms profusely. In the rest of the months there is very little bloom.
Water mineralization is weak. oxygen saturationpeaks during the summer months, but drops significantly by winter.
The lake is fed mainly by tributaries - the rivers Yaman (flows into the southwestern part) and Krutinka (flows into the southern part). At the same time, a significant share of the water collection falls on the Yaman, since the mouth of the Krutinka is heavily silted, and in dry years the water flow is very small. Also, the water level in the lake rises due to precipitation: snow, rain.
Only one river flows out of the lake - Kiterma, which connects Ik with S altaim with a thin thread. At the source of Kiterma, a peasant-type dam was built in Soviet times, the task of which is to maintain the water horizon in the lake.
Climate
Lake Ik in the Omsk region lies in the zone of sharply continental climate. In this region, the weather conditions are quite severe: cold winter with an average annual temperature of -19 degrees, short summer with a temperature regime of +18 … +22 degrees, fleeting spring and autumn. In winter and in the off-season, the waters of the lake are frozen, which opens only in mid-May.
The average rainfall for the past 50 years has been at 310-540mm.
Brief historical background
Big Krutinsky lakes in Western Siberia were formed in the Quaternary period. The glacier, advancing from the north, "pressed" the rivers of the Ob-Irtysh basin. The mouths under pressure united, and as a result, a huge fresh sea was formed. After a couple of thousand years, due to evaporation, the sea was divided into several large lakes. These lakes continuedevaporate, eventually breaking up into even smaller bodies of water. This is how Ik Lake was formed.
Over the years (we are talking about thousands of years), the banks changed their shape, the degree of mineralization of the water fell, rich bottom sediments accumulated at the bottom. As a result, the lake acquired a modern look and chemical composition of water.
For all reservoirs of Western Siberia, including those located in the Omsk region, cyclical changes in the water level are characteristic, consisting in the alternation of low- and high-water periods. The total duration of the cycle is 55-60 years, while the duration of the low-water and high-water periods is not too different and is 25-30 years, respectively.
For Lake Ik, according to observations, the most abundant water period was observed in 1917-1920, after which a low-water period began, which lasted until 1957-1959. Since the late 50s, a period of high water has again set in, while the water level peaked in 1971-1973, and then began to decline again.
Water chemistry
Let's continue the story about Lake Ik. Can you swim in its waters? To answer this question, let's look at the chemical composition of water.
The lake belongs to the group of slightly saline, as it contains a small amount of mineral s alts dissolved in water. It has a slightly alkaline reaction, belongs to the hydrocarbonate class of waters.
Studying the chemical composition of water, scientists came to the conclusion that it constantly contains such compounds harmful to humans as nitrogennitrates, ammonia nitrogen and other pollutants. Moreover, their number increases in the off-season and reaches a critical level in the winter. The reason is the anthropogenic impact. Wastewater from nearby settlements, cattle grazing along the shores of the lake, garbage dumps - all this from year to year worsens the ecological state of Lake Ik.
While swimming in the lake is possible far from settlements, but if the state does not take control of the situation, water pollution will become global and provoke an ecological disaster in the region.
Animals and flora
Lake Ik is known for its interesting arrangement of vegetation in the form of centric zones. The shore was captured by sedge, amphibian buckwheat, plantain, chastukha. Cattail and reeds descend to the water itself. Reed thickets can be seen a few meters from the shore. After that, a belt of vegetation formed from different types of duckweed, hornwort and water buttercup. More than 170 species of phytoplankton inhabit the water column.
A variety of insects are found on the lake: swimming beetles, common pond snails, dragonflies, in summer there are a lot of mosquitoes and midges. The muskrat settled nearby. The avifauna is represented by ducks, geese, and waders. The northernmost colony of curly pelicans, which the locals call a woman for some reason, also lives here.
Great Krutinskiye lakes, including Lake Ik, are home to the sea bird great cormorant, which is rather unusual.
What attracts tourists to Lake Ik in the Omsk region? Rest in these parts is mainly associated withfishing and waterfowl hunting. For the sake of this, guests come to Krutinka even from Moscow. Let's talk about fishing in more detail, because in these places it has its own characteristics.
Lake Ik, Omsk region: fishing
Fishing in the Omsk region is based mainly on the Krutinsky lakes, among them Ik is the most productive. More than 10 species of fish live in the reservoir. Carp, ide, carp, pike, perch, silver carp, whitefish, bream and chebak are found in large numbers here.
In summer, fishermen successfully fish from the shore and from boats, while the average catch varies within 40 kg. But the most interesting begins in winter. Already at the end of November, fishermen punch holes in places baited since autumn. Later, a snow house no more than two meters high and without a roof is built near each hole. It perfectly protects from the evil January winds, but does not interfere with the penetration of sunlight. A kind of ice "perch" is built in the house, which is covered with a cotton mattress so that the fifth point does not freeze. Nearby they build a snow pantry, where they put the caught fish. Later, the catch is brought home by dog sled. This is such a noble winter fishing on Lake Ik!
Although fishermen make many holes, they are quickly covered with ice, so in winter the fish often suffer from a lack of oxygen and die. The worst kill in the last 50 years occurred in 1991, when about 120 tons of fish died.
Nearest settlements
There are 5 small villages near the lake: Krutinka (settlementurban type, district center), Kalachiki, Kiterma, Krasny Pakhar (there is only 1 street in the village - Central), Ik.
The largest settlement - the city of Omsk - lies 150 km from the reservoir. Between the points there is a highway Omsk - Lake Ik. The distance that needs to be overcome in order to get from the city along the highway to the reservoir is 190 km, as the road makes many turns.
