Tudakul and Kuyimazar Reservoirs
Tudakul and Kuyimazar Reservoirs
The Tudakul reservoir lies in a natural desert depression just 30 km east of Bukhara. The reservoir provides water for the agriculture of Bukhara region collecting the excess water from Zeravshan and water from Amu Darya through the Amu-Bukhara canal. Tudakul was actually formed naturally in 1952, by the breakthrough of the floodwaters of Zeravshan into the Tudakul depression. The operation of the reservoir started in 1968, and in 1977 there was a reconstruction. The reservoir has an almost triangular shape with smoothed corners with the average depth of 4,8 m. The height of the dam is 4 m and the maximum water throughput of the structure is 46.0 m³/s.
Kuymazar Reservoir just west from Tudakul is the primary source of drinking water for Bukhara and the nearby town Kogan town. Its water is lower in salinity in contrast to the Tudakul Reservoir, which is mainly used for aquaculture and agriculture.
These large and fairly shallow wetlands, which have a total area of almost 32,000 ha, serve as an essential stopover point for migrating birds along the Central Asian bird Flyway, with the average annual number exceeding 40,000 during the last five years in which counts have taken place. The flora and fauna of the area hold some unusual specimens listed in the Red Book.
Tudakul is home to the white-tailed eagle, black-headed gull, swan, pelican, long-tailed eagle, and others. Especially the southeast corner of the Tudakul lake has grown to become a green lush little swampy type area that provides cover and nutrition for the birds.
The Tudakul reservoir has become known lately also as a popular recreational destination for the locals and has several beach resorts especially in the southern shores. It contains saltwater with a lightly bitter taste due to the minerals in the water. There are plenty of fish like carp, catfish and bream as well.
Destinations near Tudakul & Kuyimazar
Page updated 7.1.2021
