Investigating aquatic ecosystems of small lakes in Khorezm, Uzbekistan

The Khorezm province of western Uzbekistan remains one of the most agriculturally productive regions in Uzbekistan, despite receiving only 92 mm of rainfall a year. However, the pollution of surface and groundwater resources and increasing water scarcity is threatening agricultural practices throughout the province.

More than 450 small lakes are scattered throughout the province, mostly in natural depressions in the relatively flat landscape. This presentation will discuss a project begun in 2006 to assess the potential utility of these lakes as a water resource for aquaculture or irrigation. The study investigated the water quality and aquatic ecosystems of several lakes as well as the effects of anthropogenic impacts on the lakes. Data were collected from 2006 to 2010.

Project results indicate that the Khorezm lakes may be a suitable water resource in water-scarce areas for aquaculture or irrigation water. Lake core results suggest the lakes are relatively young and likely formed as a result of the irrigation network that was developed from the 1960s onward. Because the lakes are largely supplied with water from irrigation runoff originating from the Amu Darya, changes in land and water management could affect the availability of water and hence, the suitability of these lakes as a water resource.