Kuratinsky lakes

Kuratinsky Lakes is a system consisting of 5 lakes on the northeastern macro slope of the Seminsky Range of the Central Asian physical and geographical province. They are located on the territory of the Shebalinsky and Ongudaysky regions of the Altai Republic ( Russia ).

Kuratinsky lakes
Kuratinsky lakes, view from the top of Mount Sarlyk
basic information
Number of lakes	5
Location
A country	Russia
The subject of the Russian Federation	Altai Republic
Areas	Shebalinsky district , Ongudaysky district
Kuratinsky lakes
Kuratinsky lakes

Fourth Kuratinsky Lake, view from the south

The name of the lakes comes from the Altai word “ kuru-tuu ” (lit. “naked” or “devoid of vegetation” ^[1] ). The lakes are located on a partially swampy plateau, which is the watershed of the Kurata and Tuyuk rivers, under the eastern and southeastern slopes of Mount Sarlyk . They have a moraine-damnable origin. The shores of the lakes are represented by steep walls of glacial cars and ancient moraine shafts. On the shores of the two lower lakes - typical vegetation of the mountain tundra, dwarf birch thickets, juniper.

• Upper (fifth) Kuratinsky lake: absolute height - 2430 m, length of the coastline - about 1400 m,
• Fourth Kuratinsky Lake: absolute height - 2385 m, length - 300 m, maximum width - 200 m.
• Third Kuratinsky Lake: absolute height - 2240 m, length - 650 m, width - 260 m. Subalpine meadow vegetation is widespread on the banks, the banks themselves are stony.
• The second Kuratinsky lake: absolute height - 2190 m, length - 200 m, width - 100 m, area - 14300 m², the length of the coastline - 500 m, the greatest depth - 2 m.
• Lower Kuratinsky Lake: absolute height - 2100 m, length - 150 m, width - 120 m, area - 12,240 m², the length of the coastline is 450 m. It has a moraine-dammed origin. Traces of an ancient lake reservoir with a depth of 30 m and an area of ​​about 30,000 m² were noted . The shores of the lake from the east and south are covered with larch-cedar woodlands, the north - with juniper thickets.

Lakes are reachable from the top of Sarlyk, or under the valley of the river. Kurata, or from the northeast along the watershed plateau. A spectacular view of the lakes opens from the top of Mount Sarlyk, but they are often mistaken for the more famous but not visible from the top of Tuyuk lakes .