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Shuga
Shuga
Шұға
	Sentinel-2 image of the lake
	Shuga
Location	Abai Region
Coordinates	50°13′13″N 79°10′28″E / 50.22028°N 79.17444°E
Catchment area	311 km2 (120 sq mi)
Basin countries	Kazakhstan
Max. length	5.2 km (3.2 mi)
Max. width	36 km (22 mi)
Surface area	11.2 km2 (4.3 sq mi)
Residence time	UTC+6
Surface elevation	235.5 m (773 ft)

Shuga (Kazakh: Шұға; Russian: Шуга)^[1] is a salt lake in Zhanasemey District, Abai Region, Kazakhstan.^[2]^[3]

The lake is located 73 km (45 mi) to the west of Semey city, former Semipalatinsk.^[2] The area surrounding the lake is used as pasture for local cattle.^[3]

Geography

Shuga is an endorheic lake in the Shagan river basin. The northeastern and southeastern shores are indented, with sandy bays in some places. The lake lies about 37 km (23 mi) to the south of the Irtysh and 6 km (3.7 mi) to the south of lake Karabastuz. 31 km (19 mi) to the south lies lake Shagan with its nuclear pothole.^[4]

The water of lake Shuga is saline. The bottom is flat and has a 0.4 m (1 ft 4 in) thick layer of mud. The lake fills with snow and rainwater. Its level rises in spring and falls in the summer and autumn months. In dry years, it dries up and turns into a sor. The lake surface rarely freezes completely in the winter owing to its high salinity, but parts of it have ice between the end of November and the second half of April, when the lake is surrounded by snow.^[4]^[3]

Flora

Steppe vegetation grows in the area surrounding the lake, made up of mainly wormwood, Kochia and, more rarely, Achnatherum. There are no reeds along the shoreline and no aquatic plants in the water.^[3]

References

^ Площадь озер Казахстана (Таблица)
^ ^a ^b "M-44 Topographic Chart (in Russian)". Retrieved 8 October 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Nature of Kazakhstan Encyclopedia / General editor. B. O. Jacob. - Almaty: "Kazakh Encyclopedia" LLP, 2011. T.Z. - 304 pages. ISBN 9965-893-64-0 (T.Z.), ISBN 9965-893-19-5
^ ^a ^b Google Earth