Chatyr-Kul is an endorheic

Endorheic

An endorheic basin is a closed drainage basin that retains water and allows no outflow to other bodies of water such as rivers or oceans...

 alpine lake

Lake

A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...

 in the Tian Shan

Tian Shan

The Tian Shan , also spelled Tien Shan, is a large mountain system located in Central Asia. The highest peak in the Tian Shan is Victory Peak , ....

 mountains in At-Bashi District

At-Bashi District

At-Bashi is a raion of Naryn Province in Kyrgyzstan. The capital lies at At-Bashi.:-Towns, rural communities, and villages:In total, At-Bashi District include 10 rural communities . Each rural community includes one or several villages...

 of Naryn Province

Naryn Province

Naryn Province is the largest province of Kyrgyzstan. Its capital is Naryn. The province was established on November 21, 1939 as Tien-Shan Province. On December 20, 1962 the province was dissolved, but on December 11, 1970 re-established again...

, Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...

; it lies in the lower part of Chatyr-Kul Depression near the Torugart Pass

Torugart Pass

Torugart Pass is a pass in the Tian Shan mountain range on the border between the Naryn Province of Kyrgyzstan and the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China.The scenic Lake of Chatyr-Kul lies near the pass on the Kyrgyz side...

 border crossing into China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

. The name of the lake means “Celestial Lake” in Kyrgyz

Kyrgyz language

Kyrgyz or Kirgiz, also Kirghiz, Kyrghiz, Qyrghiz is a Turkic language and, together with Russian, an official language of Kyrgyzstan...

. The lake and 2 km buffer zone around it is part of the Karatal-Japyryk State Nature Reserve

Karatal-Japyryk State Nature Reserve

The Karatal-Japyryk State Nature Reserve is located in Naryn Province of Kyrgyzstan. It was established in 1994 with a purpose of conservation of unique nature complexes, protection of rare and threatened species of flora and fauna of Central Tien-Shan, and maintain regional environmental balance...

. The lake is a Ramsar site of globally significant biodiversity (Ramsar Site RDB Code 2KG002).

Hydrology

The water of Chatyr Kul Lake is yellowish-green with water transparency of up to 4 metres (13.1 ft). The mineralization of the lake ranges from 0.5 to 1.0 milligrams per liter (chloride, hydrocarbonate, sodium and magnesium type of mineralization). The salinity

Salinity

Salinity is the saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of water. It is a general term used to describe the levels of different salts such as sodium chloride, magnesium and calcium sulfates, and bicarbonates...

of the lake is 2 ppt. Mineral sources in the south part of the lake have mineralization of from 5 to 7 g (0.17636981052556 to 0.246917734735784 ) per liter and pH = 5,8-6,0. Flow rate is 1866 m³ (65,897.2 cu ft) in winter and 3629 cubic metres (128,156.9 cu ft) during summer.

Negative water balance of the lake over the last decades causes the decline in the lake level.