Sibinskie Lakes
Kazakhstan rivers and lakes. The Biggest rivers in Kazakhstan

Tourists can enjoy the scenery of five lakes, do tracking, swim in June-August. On the opposite (difficult to access) lakeside there is a nudists beach, available for Europeans to spend time "in habitual surroundings".

Water bodies are confined to a large geological break. A nameless stream, influent into Sibinka River, flows through all the lakes. The total area of five lakes water collection amounts to 31 square kilometers.

The locality of lakes belongs to the low-mountainous landscape: low mountains, piled by granites, which are covered with sparse pine wood and fescue and feather grass mountain vegetation, together with shrubs and motley meadows on mountain chestnut soil.

Erosion and structure peculiarities of granite, which form the territory, inclined to round shape weathering, has fashioned the hollows like circus. Hollows of lakes are closed on three sides, open to south-east where they are gently uplifted by the slopes of Ablaykitskiy ridges, overgrown with steppe and meadow vegetation. Hollows of lakes are divided by narrow, mostly peaked and sometimes flat ridges, almost devoid of vegetation. At some places one can see erosive wells, often overgrown with agrestal ordinary and rare plants: sedges (Carex L), cereals (Gramineae juss), pondweeds (Potamogenon L), duckweeds (Lemna L), (Callitriche L), tape-grass (Vfllisneria L), cotton-grass (Eriophorum L), mosses ( Bryophyta), etc.

Higher water vegetation is presented by over 30 species, some of which are included into relic water marsh floristic complex: pondweed pectinate (Potamogeton pectinatis), perfoliate (Potamogeton obtusifolis) and brilliant (Potamogeton lucens L), nais marine (Najas marina), Ceratophyllum (Ceraatophyllum L), (Myriophyllum spicatum L), bladderwort (Utricularis L), duckweed minor ( Lemna minor L) and ternate (Lemnf trisulca L), spatterdock yellow (Nuphar luteum), (Sparganium L), Sagittaria (Sagittaria L), knotweed amphibious (Poligonum amphibium), etc. Rare vegetation is represented by water lily tetragonal (Nymphaea tetragona), the population of which has a dying-out risk (previously, this species could be observed in all lakes, now it exists only in the lakes Dyujsen and Istykpa).

Above-water vegetation is formed by tule lacustrine (Scirpus lacustris), reed ordinary (Phragmites cjmmunis ), reed mace broad-leaved (Typha katifolia L) and narrow-leaved (Typha angustifolia L), sedges (Carex L), cereals (Gramineae juss), etc. Besides, the lakes are rich with algae - filiform, diatom (Diatomophyta), green (Chlorophyta). Bottom of the lakes is mostly covered by (Charophyta). All this makes up the feeding basis for water birds and fish.

Vegetation at the surrounding territory is presented mostly by xerophyte species. Various species of cereals prevail here: feather-grass pinnate (Stipa capillata), fowl-grass (poa trivialis), timothy-grass (Phleum phleoides), sedge (Carex supina). By-species: burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis) , scabious daffodil (Scabiosa ochraleuca L), (Sossurea amara), five-finger Norwegian (Hotentilla norvegica L), milfoil (Achillium milifolium), Berteroa incana (Berteroa incana), globe-thistle (Echinops ritro L), buckhorn plantain major (Plantago major) è lanceolate (Plantago lanceolata, geranium albiflorium (Geranium albiflorium). Bushes of dog-rose can be met (Rosa cinnamomea L) and (Rosa acicularis), (Salix caprea L).

The following fish is found in the lakes: perch, carp, pike.

Nearly all accessible lakesides are built up with recreation centers and owner-occupied dwellings. Northern lakeside is very picturesque, with splendid beach, accessible only by water or over mountains. It enjoys wide popularity among not numerous tourists. According to unwritten law the tourists maintain an apple-pie order at this place.

The climate of lake territory is sharply continental. Annual rainfall amount is about 300 mm per year, including 150 mm for July and August. Average wind speed 2-3 m/s; duration of sunlight is 2500-2600 hours per year. Average annual temperature in January - 16°, in July +19° Ñ . Warm period lasts 210 days. Valuable recreation factor is large aquatorium (lakes occupy 6,8% of the territory). Maximal temperatures in summer +35°, in winter - 55° Ñ.

Such climatic characteristics, surrounding granite mountains with pine forests and steppe motley grass, as well as availability of five large beautiful clean freshwater lakes make this territory one of the most popular places, favorite of region inhabitants for summer rest.

There existed a project of creation a national park there, but unfortunately it was not implementedThe object is located 85 km away from Ust-Kamenogorsk - for 2 hours journey with asphaltic covering. During the trip the tourists can observe picturesque hilly landscape with granite massifs.

Lakes can be used as a non-basic tourist object for demonstration at Eastern route.

It's a system of 5 splendid clean and transparent lakes surrounded by granite mountains, which have joint name Sibinskie (Ablaketskie).

Second level object. Can be used as an object of Ecological tourism. Tourists can enjoy the scenery of five lakes, do tracking, swim in June-August. On the opposite (difficult to access) lakeside there is a nudists beach, available for Europeans to spend time "in habitual surroundings".

Such climatic characteristics, surrounding granite mountains with pine forests and steppe motley grass, as well as availability of five large beautiful clean freshwater lakes make this territory one of the most popular places, favorite of region inhabitants for summer rest.

There existed a project of creation a national park there, but unfortunately it was not implemented.

Joint project of OrexCA.com and KTA and KAGIR. Information is taken from CD "All about tourism in Kazakhstan"