Water Quantity and Quality of Six Lakes in the Arid Xinjiang Region, NW China

Abstract

Xinjiang arid region is situated in the hinterland of Asia, characterized by very low precipitation and high evaporation. Most lakes in the region have evolved naturally to salt lakes and lagoons over the long term. In recent decades, driven by continuous climate warming and human activities, the water quantity and quality of lakes have fluctuated frequently, which has had significant impacts on regional resources and the environment. In this article, the water quantity and quality of six lakes, from saline to fresh, were studied. They are located at different geomorphologic regions (e.g., mountains and plains) in Xinjiang, China. Mountain Lakes Kanasi and Sailimu have expanded slightly, but their water quantity and quality have not changed significantly over the past decade. Oasis lakes, such as Lake Bositeng and Lake Chaiwopu, and tail-end lakes, such as Lake Wulungu and Lake Ebinur, have reduced in area, and in general, the water has become saline. Lake changes were mainly responses to the regional climate change, although factors like human activities and basin morphological characteristics have led to individual differences in lake evolution. Changes in water quality and quantity are clearly linked. Where water quantity increased, water became less salty and vice versa. Over the past decade, water quality of the mountain lakes (Sailimu and Kanasi) were relatively stable, but oasis lakes (i.e., Bositeng and Chaiwopu) continue to deteriorate, whereas water quality of the tail-end lakes (Wulungu and Ebinur) display unstable hydrochemistry.