State Nature Reservat "Akzhaiyk"

"The Woyiq" State Reserve is located in the territory of the Makhambet district of the Atyrau region and in the lands belonging to the city of Atyrau.

By the decision No. 119 of February 6, 2009 of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the "Woyiq" State Reserve was established at the mouth of the Woyiq River and on the coast of the Caspian Sea.

On April 1, 2009, the mouth of the Woyiq River and the Caspian Sea shoreline area were included in the list of water‑marsh lands of international significance. In terms of size, this was the second Kazakh region to be included in this list after the Tengiz‑Korgalzhyn lake system.

In 2014, the reserve was incorporated into UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

Hydrology

The hydrological regime is characterized by a stepwise rise in the water level of the Woyiq River in the second half of April; it experiences spring‑summer floods in May‑June, with the maximum level occurring at the end of May or in the first half of June. After the high water level, from August to September, the water first recedes rapidly and then gradually.

The depth of the lower reach of the Woyiq River remains constant each year because it is scoured by spring floods. In spring, when water is abundant, the water level rises by 3‑7 m, the depth of the channels ranges from 7 to 20 m, and the average depth along the shore is 3‑5 m.

The Woyiq River belongs to ordinary rivers that are fed only by snow. Its flow originates mainly in the upper part of a highly developed river network. From the city of Uralsk to the sea, except for the Barbasau area, there are no tributaries of the Woyiq River. The annual flow of the river varies from 2 km³ in dry years to 12 km³ in wet years. The amount of water in the river depends on the intensity of snow melt and the supply of water to the upper part of the Woyiq River.

Since 1978, the level of the Caspian Sea has begun to rise sharply. The average rise rate of the sea level is 14 cm per year, reaching up to 30 cm per year in some years.

Broad shallow waters, small side bays of the lowlands and coasts, the configuration of the sea shores, the active activity of the wind create conditions for the development of water transport and return oscillations. Here an average of 3‑4 water floods and 4‑5 returns are recorded per month. One of the main features of the hydrological and morphological processes on the Caspian Sea coast is that these processes occur under conditions of significant changes in sea level. Under average wind conditions the shoreline movement is 3‑5 km, under extreme conditions 8‑12 km, and in some coastal areas water flooding reaches 20‑30 km.

The seasonality of water floods in the North Caspian is clearly evident. The highest frequency occurs in autumn (October‑November, 25.1 %), summer (June‑July, 21.3 %) and spring (April‑May, 16.7 %).

Climate

The climate of the North Caspian region is sharply continental, with a long hot and dry summer, dust storms drying the soil, and sparse and unstable winter snow. The average annual precipitation is 150 mm (ranging from 50 to 300 mm). The average annual wind speed is 5.5‑7 m/s. Relative humidity does not exceed 37 % in summer and 80‑84 % in winter. Precipitation is low—150 to 190 mm per year. There are strong winds and dust storms. Wind speed is 5‑6 m/s, rarely increasing up to 12 m/s. Storms occur on average 20‑30 days per year.

Flora and Fauna

According to recent studies, the list of plants includes 130 species belonging to 33 genera, which constitute about 54 % of the flora of the Kazakh part of the North Caspian region. Here you can find unique plants included in the Kazakhstan Red Book.

Plants of water or aquatic ecosystems are divided into two main types: large waterweed communities located at the bottom of the phytobenthos water column and upper water plants; - upper, surface-layer hygrophytes (reed, rush, etc.), including those floating on the water surface (white water lily, water chestnut, etc.) and the underwater layer (branch, water lily, etc.) communities dominated by plant species.

Among the birds there are rare species: Qoraboʻy, shpal, small fish, Misr dove, sultanka. During flight thousands of flamingos, curlews, grebes, white storks, as well as geese that are at risk of extinction stop here.

The reserve has 78 species of mammals. The regional list of species at risk of extinction includes 20 species of birds, 24 species of insects, 2 species of reptiles, and 2 species of mammals. Fish and Caspian seal are on the brink of disappearance.