Kazakhstan’s Kapchagay Reservoir Reaches 98% Capacity

Kazakhstan’s Kapchagay Reservoir in the Almaty Region is now 98% full, holding 18.04 billion cubic meters of water, according to the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation. The reservoir collects water from the transboundary Ili River, which originates in China, and regulates water flow into Lake Balkhash, Kazakhstan’s largest lake. During the most recent non-growing season, approximately 4 billion cubic meters of water were released from the reservoir into Lake Balkhash. Officials say the near-full capacity of the reservoir will ensure sufficient irrigation supplies for agricultural land in the Akdala and Shengeldy rural districts of the Almaty Region. “We maintain constant communication with our Chinese colleagues on transboundary river issues, including the Ili River. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of the two countries, farmers in the Almaty Region have been provided with a stable supply of irrigation water for the third consecutive year,” said Seilbek Nurymbetov, chairman of the ministry’s Committee for Regulation, Protection, and Use of Water Resources. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that the Kapchagay Reservoir reached full capacity in August 2024 for the first time in a decade. Created in 1970 as an artificial lake stretching roughly 100 kilometers in length and up to 25 kilometers wide in some areas, the reservoir has a total capacity of more than 18 billion cubic meters of water. The reservoir was originally designed to regulate the flow of the Ili River before it reaches Lake Balkhash. Today, it also serves irrigation, fish farming, and recreational purposes. Located about an hour’s drive from Almaty, its beaches are a popular destination for tourists and local residents. Three of Kazakhstan’s major rivers, the Irtysh, Ili, and Emel, originate in China. The Ili River alone provides about 70% of the water flowing into Lake Balkhash. Located approximately 280 kilometers northwest of Almaty, Lake Balkhash is the world’s fifteenth-largest lake.