Lake Belø

Belyo (Khak. Pуle) is a lake in the northern part of Khakassia, on the territory of Shirinsky district, 320 km south-west of Krasnoyarsk (in a straight line - 215 km).

The largest mineral reservoir of the republic. Located 8 km north of the resort lake Shira and 16 km from the village of Pearl. The lake is located in the intermountain basin of the treeless hilly Jirim steppe, at an altitude of about 376 m. The surrounding mountains do not exceed 614 m above sea level, and the northern coast is steep in some areas. In the conservation zone grow fir and pine, sheltered from the steppe winds behind the mountains.

The lake of tectonic origin has not yet been fully explored. There were no detailed measurements of its depth, and the composition of all underground sources has not yet been determined. The level of the surrounding mountains is 100-240 meters above the level of the lake.

Belyo consists of two lanes: Large (south-western) and Small (north-eastern), connected by a narrow duct. The area of the water mirror of the Big Plyos is 52 km2, the average depth is 17 m, the maximum is 29 m, the Small one is 26 km2, the average depth is 23 m, the maximum is up to 46 m. The length of the coastline of the entire lake is 68.6 km, including 41.7 Big Plyos and 26.9 Small. The area of the Belø catchment basin is 435.2 km2.

The lake is fed by precipitation and underground sources, as well as by the flow of the Tuim River (in the western part).

The composition of the lake water is medium-mineralized, alkaline, sulfate-chloride, sodium-magnesium. Its mineralization area varies from 9 to 14 g / l of water. By the nature of the environment, water is alkaline. There are stocks of balneological mud. The vast territory of the lake basin is occupied by the deposits of the Oidanovskaya retinue (mixed and cherry-red argillites), from the north - the Beyskaya retinue (gray limestones), the deposits of the Kochai and Tuba retinue (mixed argillites and aleuroliths). The southern coast is formed by alluvial deposits, clay and silt, with a capacity of 6-8 meters.

Belyo is a drainless lake, the only watercourse flows into it from the west - the Tuim River (the waters in the river are polluted by sewage from industrial enterprises and untreated drains from the Shira district center).

Belyo is a stopping place for waterfowl during the flight in spring and autumn (crycoon swan, harp and white-headed goose), and flocks of geese reach 1-2 thousand individuals. There's usually crested blackness on the flyby.

The steppe around Belø was used as pasture and arable land. In Belyo bred trout (in cages); there was an attempt to stock up on pink salmon and pelyad. Widely used by residents of the Republic of Khakassia and Southern Siberia for recreation, the main number of beaches is located on the southern shores. The northern shores of the Big and Small Plyos, including Chalpan Mountain, are referred to the territory of the Khakass State Nature Reserve - Lake Belyo section.

Preserve site

Lake Belyo is a cluster area of the Khakass State Nature Reserve, an area of 4.7 thousand hectares. Located in the Shirinskaya lake-boil steppe, 25 km north-east of the village of Shira. Created for the preservation of steppe biogeocenoses, wetlands and nesting sites and mass accumulation of birds, natural and historical landscapes with complexes of monuments in the vicinity of the Chalpan mountains (586 m) and Krutyak (Khurtulag-Bag, 596 m), fortification of "Sve", scribes, burial grounds of 4-11 centuries BC.