The water pools of the Agrakhan Bay area in the Terek River delta and scientifically based measures for their conservation

Samokhin, M. A.; Magritskiy, D. V.; Sokolov, D. I.; Erina, O.; Goncharov, A. V.; Surkov, V. V.; Semenova, A. A.; Zavadskiy, A. N.; Vorontsov, A. A.; Tereshina, M. A.

doi:10.31951/2658-3518-2020-A-4-935

Authors

Samokhin, M. A. ¹
Magritskiy, D. V. ¹
Sokolov, D. I. ¹
Erina, O. ¹
Goncharov, A. V. ¹
Surkov, V. V. ¹
Semenova, A. A. ¹
Zavadskiy, A. N. ¹
Vorontsov, A. A. ²
Tereshina, M. A. ¹

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31951/2658-3518-2020-A-4-935

Keywords:

Terek, delta, Caspian Sea, hydrological conditions, morphological structure

Abstract

We have described the current hydrological state of the Agrakhan Bay, studied its features and defined trends, factors and parameters of hydrologic-morphological evolution of the Bay, mainly in the XX and early XXI centuries, and proposed measures for its restoration. The study was based on field measurements and long-term networked hydrological observations, comparative analysis of multitemporal cartographic material and satellite images, and laboratory analysis of water samples. Agrakhan Bay is a unique hydrographic and ecologically valuable object in the south-eastern part of the Terek delta, which 100 years ago had the features of a typical sea gulf and an area of 340 km², was one of the main habitats for sturgeon spawning and fishery. Now it is divided into two different parts. Water areas and watered reed cover only 258 km². Their area continues to decrease, which generates negative environmental and socio-economic consequences. The fishing value of the bay has been lost.