Sarygamysh Lake
| Sarygamysh Lake | |
|---|---|
December 2001 | |
| Coordinates | 42°00′N 57°20′E / 42.000°N 57.333°E |
| Basin countries | Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan |
| Max. length | 125 km (78 mi) |
| Max. width | 90 km (56 mi) |
| Surface area | 3,955 km2 (1,527 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 8 m (26 ft) |
| Max. depth | 40 m (130 ft) |
| Water volume | 68.56 km3 (16.45 cu mi) |
| Surface elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
Sarygamysh Lake, also Sarykamysh or Sary-Kamysh (Turkmen: Sarygamyş köli, Uzbek: Sariqamish ko‘li, Karakalpak: Sarıqamıs kóli, Russian: Сарыкамы́шское озеро), is the largest lake in Turkmenistan located about midway between the Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea. A quarter of the lake's area is in Uzbekistan. The Sarykamysh basin and the Sarykamysh delta of the Amu Darya river are physical and geographical nature regions of the Daşoguz Region of Turkmenistan.
Up until the 17th century, the lake was fed by the Uzboy River, a distributary of the Amu Darya River, which continued on to the Caspian Sea. Today, its main source of water is a canal from the Amu Darya, but also the runoff water from surrounding irrigated lands, containing high levels of pesticides, herbicides and heavy metals.