Golden Age Lake, reservoir in Turkmenistan
Golden Age Lake, also called Altyn Asyr, is a reservoir under construction in the Karashor depression within the Karakum Desert in eastern Turkmenistan. With a planned surface area of approximately 2,000 square kilometers and a maximum depth of 70 meters, it will hold over 130 cubic kilometers of water supplied through an extensive network of canals, including the Dashoguz Collector and the Great Turkmen Collector, drawing water from irrigated farmland and natural sources.
The project was developed to collect and store water from the Amu Darya River and from irrigated farmland in a region marked by extreme aridity. The concept emerged from the desire to preserve water that would otherwise be lost to the desert while simultaneously utilizing existing drainage infrastructure to fill an enormous reservoir.
The name Golden Age Lake, or Altyn Asyr, reflects the government's vision of transforming the desert landscape and creating new opportunities for life in this region. Visitors can observe the connection between large-scale engineering and the hope for environmental renewal as they walk through the construction site.
The site is located in a flat, arid region of the Karakum Desert and remains under active construction, so visitors should expect ongoing changes to infrastructure and access routes. The cooler months offer more comfortable conditions for exploration, as summer heat in this desert region can be intense on exposed terrain.
The project aims ambitiously to restore migration routes for millions of birds passing through the region and to create an entirely new ecosystem in an otherwise barren desert landscape. Critics point out, however, that massive evaporation in the heat and potential contamination from agricultural pesticides could undermine these goals.
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