Tudakul Reservoir

Tudakul in Qiziltepa District formed in 1952 when Zarafshan water collected in a natural depression, and became a reservoir in 1968. It is known for its waterbirds and fishery.

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Photo: Kagansky · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

About the lake

Tudakul lies 26 km east of Bukhara in a natural basin 223.5 m above sea level, with the Kuymazar reservoir to its west. It formed in 1952 from Zarafshan water seeping into the depression, was turned into a reservoir in 1968 and rebuilt in 1977. It covers 210 km² and holds 1.2 km³ (some sources say 0.8 km³), with an average depth of 4.8 m; the water is partly mineralised. It is fed by surplus Zarafshan water and by the Amu-Bukhara canal.

Waterbirds, fish and turtles listed in Uzbekistan's Red Book live here, and a fish farm was set up on the reservoir in 1960. The Tudakul and Kuymazar reservoirs are listed as wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.