Water Chemistry and Ecology of Lake Issyk-Kul

In recent years, Lake Issyk-Kul became a subject of special concern because of continuous water level decrease and contamination related to human activity (recreational facilities, constructions, irrigational land use, cattle breeding, etc.). The development of agriculture is associated with increasing water withdrawal from lake tributaries, from 9% of total runoff in 1966, 34% in 1982, to 43% in 1998.