Bestyube Reservoir

The Bestyube Reservoir in Almaty Region's Raiymbek district was formed by the construction of the Moynak hydroelectric dam on the Charyn River, at an elevation of about 1,700 meters. The dam itself stands 94 meters high and 515 meters long, backing up the region's longest and most water-rich mountain river into a reservoir roughly 4.5 kilometers long and about 400 meters wide. Filling of the reservoir began on 27 September 2011, and the associated Moynak hydroelectric station was formally brought online on 16 December 2011, timed to coincide with Kazakhstan's Independence Day. Located some 3.5 to 4 hours' drive from Almaty, reached via the A-351 highway through Tuzdybastau, Shelek, and Kegen to the village of Kensu, the reservoir remains little visited by tourists compared with other lakes near Almaty, leaving its surrounding mountain scenery relatively undisturbed.