Not far from the city of Miass, which is located in the Chelyabinsk region, there is a large and freshwater lake Turgoyak, considered a natural monument.
The area of its water area is more than 2500 hectares. It is 8 km long and 6 km wide. The average depth in the lake is 19 meters, and the maximum is just over 36 meters. By its unique transparency, Lake Turgoyak ranks 2nd in Russia. In addition, he is considered to be the younger brother of the famous Baikal. The water in the lake, like on Lake Baikal, is surprisingly clear and delicious. Due to the special plankton, under the rays of the sun, the water in Turgoyak seems to silver and glow from the inside. It's a pleasure to watch. The water in the lake really has a very high transparency, ranging from about 10 to just over 17 meters. For a long time, this lake was considered forbidden and sacred among the Bashkir tribes. Therefore, the lake is still shrouded in mysteries. The quality of the natural and cleanest water in Turgoyak is very close to Baikal.
Unfortunately, according to the observations of scientists conducted from 1987 to 1997, the quality of the local water in the lake is deteriorating. Since the lake itself is oligotrophic, it is quite vulnerable to a large anthropogenic impact on it, i.e. the same pollution or water extraction for the purposes of Miass water supply. Thus, the rather fragile ecosystem of Turgoyak has suffered quite significant damage. In addition, the number of recreation centers on the lake has increased in recent years.
The lake level is also subject to significant fluctuations. And the reason for such fluctuations has not yet been established. In 2007, the maximum level of the lake was reached, and the minimum was in 1981. Then the drop was recorded at 2.5 meters. Due to periodically varying levels on the lake, it is easy to spot approximately 10/12 islands, the largest of which include Vera Island (although at low water it is more of a peninsula), Krestovy Peninsula (at high water it is more of an island), Chaika Islands, Bolshoy and Maly Inyshevsky, Snake. Of the small islands, Kamennaya, Mukhorinskaya, Chernaya, Linden and Inyshevskaya Kurya can be noted.
Traces of the archaeological presence of prehistoric people have also been seen on Turgoyak, including megaliths from Vera Island and other archaeological sites. Since the lake is special and unique, tourism in these places is quite widespread. And spending at least a couple of days on this stunning lake will be both pleasant and healthy. France Powerball
