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Baikal (Ozero Baykal)
General Information
| Description |
Lake Baikal is one of the most ancient lakes in the world, created 20 to 30 million years ago by tectonic forces. Baikal is the largest freshwater lake in the world by volume. Baikal is also the deepest lake on earth, sitting in the planet’s deepest land depression, a rift nine km deep, located in one of the most complicated and least understood fault zones on earth. |
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| Country |
Russian Federation
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| Latitude |
52° 40' 0"
(52.6667) |
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| Longitude |
107° 0'
0" (107.0000) |
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| River Basin |
Yenisey
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Maps
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Baikal global index map (LakeNet Explorer)
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Largest Lakes in the World by Area (LakeNet Explorer 2004)
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Largest Lakes of the World by Volume (LakeNet Explorer 2004)
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Baikal locator map |
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Ancient Lakes of the World |
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Baikal Basin Protected Areas (TACIS Technical Dissemination Project)
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Baikal Environment Assessment Zones (Tahoe-Baikal Institute)
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Lake Basin Management Initiative (LakeNet Explorer)
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Physical Characteristics
| Description |
The lake stretches for 636 km and is up to 80 km wide. The lake’s unusual purity is due to two factors. First, one of Lake Baikal’s 250 species of freshwater shrimp, the endemic Epishura baicalensis strains out large amounts of algae and bacteria from the water. In addition, most of the Baikal watershed is underlain by bedrock, causing water inflow to have very little contact with sediments and minerals in route to the lake.
The lake has 365 rivers flowing into it and holds a full 20% of the liquid freshwater on the surface of the earth. This ancient lake is considered by many to be one of the cleanest lakes on the planet, and untreated lake water withdrawn from deep in the lake is used as a source of bottled drinking water. |
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| Volume |
23,600.00 km3 |
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| Surface Area |
31,500.00 km2 |
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| Depth |
Mean depth: 730.0 m
Maximum depth: 1,637.0 m
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| Residence Time |
330.0 years |
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| Age |
Greater than 20 million years before present
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| Origin |
Tectonic
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| Trophic State |
Oligotrophic |
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| Type |
Fresh
Permanent
Natural
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| Catchment |
Catchment size: 571,000.00
km2
Catchment/surface area ratio: 18:1 |
Socio-Political
| Economic Value |
Forestry, fisheries, agriculture, hunting and tourism continue to be major activities around the lake. The state of the omul population is tremendously importat for the local residents since catching and selling omul is a significant portion of the local economy.
The proportion of urban to rural land has grown repeatedly through the 20th century (Sukhodolov 1996).
The geographic–economic region of Lake Baikal stretches from the southeastern section of Siberia to portions of northern Mongolia to the south. The Russian portion of this region covers 1 million km2, equivalent to the territory of France, Germany and Italy combined. The Russian portion of the Baikal region is divided between three members of the Russian Federation: the Republic of Buryatia (73%), Irkutsk Oblast (21%), and Chita Oblast (6%). The population density is three persons per km2. Industrial development has inevitably led to the growth of urban and rural settlements around Lake Baikal and the construction of new communities.
In the course of history the mixed human population of the Lake Baikal region has created and preserved a distinct multicultural environment at the crossroads of West and East, Christianity and Buddhism. A synthesis of diverse traditions and life styles developed, unique European and Asian cultural elements crystallized, and the ecological and spiritual values of Buddhism also matured. The region is a spectacular example of coexistence among different cultures and faiths through the centuries. Over one thousand archaeological remains of past cultures have been found near the Lake Baikal shores.
The culture of people in the Baikal region (Russian Old Believers, Orthodox, Buddhists, and Shamanists) is imbued with a deep reverence for nature that was passed down from one generation to another. In fact, the whole population of the Trans-Baikal region worshipped the water of Lake Baikal. Even now, the Buryats practice special rituals to thank the spirits of mountains and lakes. Source: Garmaeva, T. (2001) |
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| Primary Economic Sectors |
Aluminum - 25%
Mining - 55%
Oil - 31%
Timber - 15%
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| Major Cities |
Irkutsk, Irkutsk Oblast and Ulan Ude, Buryatia |
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Watershed Management
| Description |
Over the last 50 years, watershed management efforts at Lake Baikal have progressed from a strictly resource extraction focus in the 1950’s, to a management and educational development focus in the 1990’s to the current period of transition. Policy-makers currently have the choice of implementing progressive watershed management plans developed in the last decade while supporting the development of the service sector economy, or to pursue intensive development options that could increase economic gains in the short term, but jeopardize environmental integrity and human health in the long run. The path taken in the next decade in regards to environmental policy will guide development within the region for the next century. This long-term trajectory is based on current decisions because economic development is just beginning to take hold in Russia, in general, and at Baikal, in particular. For example, recent legislation allowing housing developments around the shores could bring a huge influx of development pressures on Baikal’s shoreline. Once constructed, it would be impossible to then reverse development trends towards conservation priorities. |
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| Watershed Action Plan |
In development |
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| Issues |
Environmental impacts within the Lake Baikal Basin are generated from numerous point and non-point pollution sources. The most significant air pollution sources are located just north of Lake Baikal (the Irkutsk Oblast) and in several Russian industrial centers just south of the lake. Water pollution sources flow almost entirely into the southern portion of Lake Baikal from Russia and Mongolia, leaving the northern end of the lake relatively pristine. |
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| Other Issues |
Atmospheric Deposition
Health Advisories - Fish
Health Advisories - Swimming
Invasive Species
Point source pollution
Toxics
Watershed habitat alteration
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| Specific Contaminants |
Industrial
Mercury
Mining
Other
Pesticides
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| Monitoring |
The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 created an institutional vacuum in developing watershed management plans and programs for the Basin. Domestic efforts to develop plans were greatly enhanced from assistance from international multi-national and uni-lateral development programs such as the World Bank, Global Environmental Facility (GEF), USAID, German Development Agency (GTZED), EU/TACIS, which have funded thousands of projects supporting government, NGO’s, scientist and local citizens. |
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| Monitoring Programs |
In-Lake
Water Quality
Tributaries/Watershed
Water Quality
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Biodiversity Conservation
| Description |
The lake, mountains, forests, steppes and tundra of the Baikal area have extremely high biodiversity. Approximately half of the 2,615 plant and animal species found in the Baikal region are endemic. There are over 560 species of algae alone (a third of which are endemic). Lake Baikal’s diverse and unusual biota includes the Baikal seal (Phoca sibirica), which lives nowhere else on earth and is separated by 3,220 km from its nearest relative, the Arctic ringed seal. The Baikal seal, known locally as nerpa, are fully adapted to freshwater. Baikal seals can remain under water for up to 45-60 minutes, due to the extraordinary capacity of their blood to hold oxygen, and they give birth to their young in snow dens on the lake ice.
Fifty-two species of fish inhabit Lake Baikal waters. The omul (Coregonus autumnalis migratorius Georgi), an arctic white fish endemic to Baikal, accounts for two-thirds of the annual catch from the lake. |
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| Designations |
LakeNet Biodiversity Priority
Ramsar Site
World Heritage Site
WWF Global 200
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| Ramsar Site Name |
Selenga Delta |
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| Ramsar Designations |
1, 2, 5
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| Species of Concern |
A number of bird species listed in the Russian Red Data Book occur in the delta, including: Grus leucogeranus, Ciconia nigra, Cygnus columbianus bewickii, Anser cygnoides, Aquila heliaca, A. chrysaetos, Falco peregrinus, F. rusticolus and F. cherrug, Haliaeetus albicilla and Limnodromus semipalmatus. |
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| Species Richness |
High |
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| Endemism |
High |
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| Other Species Info |
Global rarity
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| Biological Distinctiveness |
Globally outstanding |
Organizations
LakeNet Programs
Documents
Resources
News
Additional Data Sources
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Birkett, C., and I. Mason. 1995. A new global lakes database for remote sensing programme studying climatically sensitive large lakes. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 21 (3) 307-318. |
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Duker, L. and L. Borre. 2001. Biodiversity conservation of the world's lakes: a preliminary framework for identifying priorities. LakeNet Report Series Number 2. Annapolis, Maryland USA. |
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Experience and Lessons Learned Brief |
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