The Sary-Chelek State Biosphere Reserve in the Aksy district of Jalal-Abad region is one of Kyrgyzstan's specially protected natural areas. It was established in 1959 by a decree of the Council of Ministers of the Kirghiz SSR to conserve and study local flora and fauna. It was among the first reserves created in Kyrgyzstan. Its area covers almost 24,000 hectares. The highest point is Muztor peak, reaching 4,247 metres. In 1979 the reserve joined the World Network of Biosphere Reserves under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme, and in 2016 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Western Tien-Shan. The reserve is home to animals and plants listed in the Red Book: snow leopard, lynx, marten, brown bear, wild boar, roe deer, ibex, red deer and others. Walnut, juniper, spruce and other species grow here. The well-known Lake Sary-Chelek lies within this reserve. Six more lakes share its territory: Kyla, Aram-Kol, Choychok-Kol, Iri-Kol and two small ones, Bakaly and Tuyuk. Reaching Sary-Chelek means walking a long path from the reserve entrance — roughly 15–20 kilometres. Along the way dense forest climbs the mountainsides up to the ridges, and the slopes are covered with grass and flowers. According to scholars, the lake formed about 10,000 years ago after an earthquake. It is 7.5 kilometres long, up to 2.3 kilometres wide, and covers 492 hectares. Its average depth is 98 metres and its greatest depth 244 metres, making it the second deepest lake in Kyrgyzstan after Issyk-Kul. Sary-Chelek lies 1,878 metres above sea level. In winter the lake freezes in January and thaws in April. The ice reaches 25–30 centimetres thick.
Nature
