Kamkalykol

Kamkalykol (Kazakh: Қамқалыкөл) is a lake in the Moiynkum District, Jambyl Region, Kazakhstan.

The lake is located 30 kilometers (19 mi) to the ESE of Ulanbel village. The ruins of ghost town Kishi Kamkaly, abandoned in 2019, lie by the northern end of the lake. The lake water is used for watering livestock grazing in the surrounding area.

Geography

Kamkalykol lies in the lower Shu river basin to the north of the river channel. Lake Karakol is located 9 kilometers (5.6 mi) to the northwest and lake Zhalanash 22 kilometers (14 mi) to the west. Kamkalykol stretches roughly from northwest to southeast for almost 5 kilometers (3.1 mi). To the south it is bound by the Shu floodplain.

Kamkalykol freezes over in mid-November and thaws in March. On average the water level rises right after the melting of the snow in the spring and decreases in the summer.

Flora

The lake is swampy, especially in its southern part. There is abundant reed growth by the lakeshore and in shallow areas.