Lake Chany

---

title: "Lake Chany" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["lake-chany", "ramsar-sites-in-russia", "protected-areas-of-siberia"] description: "Lake in Novosibirsk Oblast, Russia" topic_path: "geography/russia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Chany" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Lake in Novosibirsk Oblast, Russia ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox body of water"]

Field	Value
name	Lake Chany
other_name	озеро Чаны,
image	Lake Chany 2021-10-20 Sentinel-2 L2A True color.jpg
caption	Eastern part of Lake Chany Sentinel-2 picture, October 2021
image_bathymetry	Chany-ONC E-6.jpg
caption_bathymetry	ONC map of Lake Chany at the time of the USSR, April 1983
location	Novosibirsk Oblast
coords
pushpin_map	Russia#Russia Novosibirsk Oblast
type	Freshwater
inflow	Chulym
basin_countries	Russia
length	91 km
width	88 km
area	1700 km2
depth	2 m
max-depth	7 m
elevation	106 m
islands	numerous
frozen	Late October till May
embedded	{{Designation list
embed	yes
designation1	Ramsar
designation1_offname	Chany Lakes
designation1_date	13 September 1994
designation1_number	680}}
::

|name = Lake Chany | other_name = озеро Чаны, |image = Lake Chany 2021-10-20 Sentinel-2 L2A True color.jpg |caption = Eastern part of Lake Chany Sentinel-2 picture, October 2021 |image_bathymetry = Chany-ONC E-6.jpg |caption_bathymetry =ONC map of Lake Chany at the time of the USSR, April 1983 |location = Novosibirsk Oblast |coords = |pushpin_map = Russia#Russia Novosibirsk Oblast |type = Freshwater |inflow = Chulym |outflow = |catchment = |basin_countries = Russia |length = 91 km |width = 88 km |area = 1700 km2 |depth = 2 m |max-depth = 7 m |volume = |residence_time = |shore = |elevation = 106 m |islands = numerous |cities = | frozen = Late October till May | embedded = {{Designation list | embed = yes | designation1 = Ramsar | designation1_offname = Chany Lakes | designation1_date = 13 September 1994 | designation1_number = 680}} ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Chany_lake2.jpg" caption="Lake Chany with the Yudinsky Reach on the western side."] ::

Lake Chany (, ) is a lake in Novosibirsk Oblast, Russia. The lake extends across five districts of Novosibirsk Oblast: Zdvinsky, Barabinsky, Chanovsky, Kupinsky and Chistoozyorny.

Geography

Lake Chany is one of the largest lakes in Russia. It is located in the Baraba steppe area. The lake is shallow, slightly salty (hyposaline), and has a fluctuating water level, which can change from season to season and year to year. The average depth of the lake is between 1 m and 2 m, reaching a maximum of 8 m in some places. Lake Chany is connected with Malye Chany (Small Chany) and Yarkul lakes to the south. North of its northeastern end lies lake Tandovo. Sartlan lies 20 km to the east, Ubinskoye130 km to the ENE and Uguy 134 km to the northwest.

Yudinsky Reach

Lake Chany is a drying lake. The water inflow decreased since the last half of the 20th century because of the numerous dams built on the inflowing rivers. The Yudinsky Reach (), its 800 km2 western part, has almost dried out. Its surface was formerly more than 30% of the total lake area. Since this zone was evaporating a large amount of water and the level of the lake was sinking, an earthen dam was built in 1972 in order to separate the Yudinsky Reach from the eastern section of the lake. The construction of the dam raised the water level in the eastern part of the lake by 0.5 m. The western part began to dry up and by 1978 the water level in it had dropped by 1.1 m. Formerly the lake surface was between 1990 km2 in periods of drought and 2600 km2 after the melting of the snows in the steppe. Currently the basin of the western part has shrunk and is almost dry, with only residual lakes and marshland. The lakeshore village of Yudino lies on the shore of the now dry Yudinsky Reach.

Studies revealed that there is a risk of the dam collapsing, which would lead to water runoff from the eastern part of the lake flooding the former basin and a negative environmental impact. In 2000 an official decision was taken for the maintenance and overhaul of the dam, and in 2005 funds were allocated from the federal budget for its reconstruction. ::data[format=table] | [[File:Yudinsky Reach 2017-10-26-23 59 Sentinel-2 L2A True color.jpg|thumb|The Yudinsky Reach in 2017.]] | |---| ::

Islands

There are about 70 islands on the lake: Amelkina Griva, Shuldikov, Lezhan, Medvezhy, Colpachok, Chinyaikha, Cheryomukhovy, Uzkoredky, Cheryomushkin, Kobyly, Perekopny, Bekarev, Kalinova, Shipyagin, Krugly, Kolotov, Kamyshny etc.

Climate

Severe storms are frequent on Chany, during a powerful wind, high waves occur on the surface of the lake.

Flora and fauna

A variety of ecosystems that surround the lake include a mixture of wetlands, salt marshes, and a mixture of birch and aspen forests. Lake Chany in particular is critically important for the migratory birds of Siberia, and is listed as a Ramsar Site of International Importance. Chebak, pike, perch, crucian carp and Eurasian carp used to live in the lake waters.

Folklore

According to local legend, a giant creature which devours cattle and people lives in the lake.

References

References

1. "Chany Lakes".
2. "Чаны (озеро)". [[Great Soviet Encyclopedia]].
3. [http://www.sovsibir.ru/news/72854 The glorious sea is Lake Chany. Sovetskaya Sibir. Славное море — озеро Чаны. Советская Сибирь.] May 4, 2007.
4. "N-43 Topographic Chart (in Russian)".
5. "N-44 Topographic Chart (in Russian)".
6. [https://web.archive.org/web/20080507112350/http://szmn.sbras.ru/win/elbib/hbc/article.phtml?nid=229&id=17 ОЗЕРО ЧАНЫ — УНИКАЛЬНЫЙ ВОДОЕМ ЗАПАДНОЙ СИБИРИ]
7. [[Google Earth]]
8. [https://web.archive.org/web/20160304222619/http://www.vn.ru/17.08.2002/citynews/20561/ Озеро выходит из берегов?]
9. [https://web.archive.org/web/20170415085334/http://ozero-chany.ru/problemy/ Проблемы озера Чаны]
10. [https://web.archive.org/web/20080422015509/http://www.infan.ru/city/8769 Озеро Чаны спасают с помощью федерального бюджета]
11. "Lake Chany. Chronicles of Novosibirsk Oblast. Озеро Чаны. Летописи Новосибирской области.".
12. "Ramsar Site Information Sheet - Chany Lake". Ramsar International.
13. [https://life.ru/t/%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8/30591 16 people died on Lake Chany in Siberia. 16 человек погибло на озере Чаны в Сибири. Life.] July 7, 2010.

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