Bolshoye Toko is a lake on the Aldan Highlands in the southeastern part of the Sakha Republic of Russia, near its border with the Amur region. Located in the Neryungri district, 450 km from Neryungri, 90 km west of the administrative border with the Khabarovsk Territory. The lake belongs to the Algama River basin.
There are no permanent settlements on the coast; it is geographically part of the Bolshoye Toko nature reserve. At a short distance from the lake in a western direction there is the Elga coal deposit.
Bolshoye Toko is the largest lake within the Stanovoy Range with a surface area of 82.6 km² and is a tectonic depression processed by a glacier. It has the shape of a round reservoir elongated in the northern direction with small bays of glacial passage. The lake is located on the Tokino Plateau with absolute heights of 950−1100 m and a total area of more than 10 thousand km². The plateau, also called the Tokinsky Basin, is bordered from the south and southeast by the Tokinsky Stanovik ridge, in the north by the Lower Gonamsky ridge, in the west by the Ningansky ridge, and in the east by the Uchur-Idyumsky ridge. The lake is located in the south of the basin and is limited by a system of ridges of terminal moraines, which are the result of the active activity of glaciers of the Quaternary period, descending from the slopes of the Stanovoy Range during the glaciation era. The complex of moraines that form the coast rises above the lake level to a height of up to 100 m and reaches a width of 2-3 km. From the outside, this complex is represented by a steep terminal moraine ridge, with ridges up to 10-15 m high. The ridges are composed of large rounded boulders and stone blocks untreated by the glacier. At a distance of two kilometers to the south there is Lake Maloe Toko (area 2.5 km²), which is connected by a channel to the only significant tributary of Lake Bolshoye Toko - the Utuk River. The entire flow occurs through the Mulam River, the left tributary of the Idyum.
The height of the water's edge, equal to 903 m, corresponds to the transition zone from mountain mid-taiga forests to the forest-tundra forest zone. The lake is located in an area of widespread permafrost, the thickness of which in this area reaches 30 m, the depth of winter freezing and thawing ranges from 0.3 to 4 m. The duration of winter in the area is 7/7.5 months, the average temperature is −30 ° C /-32°С. Maximum precipitation occurs in summer, the average temperature in calendar summer is +17°С/+19°С. The lake area is seismically active; strong earthquakes in the area may have been associated with the development and melting of glaciers during glaciations. During the Quaternary period, volcanic or large geothermal eruptions may also have taken place in the vicinity of the lake.
The coast is covered with larch forest, where elk, wild deer, brown bear, sable, birds and waterfowl are found. The lake is home to taimen, lenok, grayling, whitefish, perch and pike. Due to the great depth of the reservoir, its water is highly transparent.
The reserve "Lake Bolshoye Toko" is truly the pearl of Southern Yakutia. This corner of the republic is unique for the purity of its water and the beauty of nature. Here, plants and animals of two natural zones - the Pacific and Yakut - are intricately intertwined. In terms of the saturation of the region's flora with rare plant species (17%), this territory surpasses ALL known protected areas of the Republic. There are so many valuable species of medicinal, food and ornamental plants here! Species such as Kuznetsov's violet, Asian aleflower, water awl, and small-leaved false columbine grow only here. Rare types of forests grow in the taiga belt - Ayan spruce forests and stone birch forests, which perform the most important environment-forming and environment-stabilizing functions. The water-regulating and protective significance of these forests, located mainly in the upper mountain belt, is enormous.
The territory of the reserve is home to 3 species of animals listed in the Red Book of Russia and Yakutia: Chubuku mountain sheep, black stork, grouse; valuable species of fish live in reservoirs. The species richness of the flora of vascular plants is very high: almost 1/3 of the flora of Yakutia (about 500 species) is concentrated on a relatively small area (114.6 tons ha) (about 500 species), 48 species are listed in the Red Book of Yakutia, 4 - in the Red Book of Russia. In addition, in recent years, 29 species that are found in Yakutia have been discovered only in the territory of the reserve. There are 76 rare species in total. The species richness of the flora is also high: lichens - 196 species, mosses - about 200, algae - more than 200 species. Many species of mosses and algae are recorded in Yakutia only in the territory of the reserve. The local combination and wide variety of landscapes are unique to Yakutia: the slightly hilly Tokyo Basin, the powerful Tokyo Stanovik ridge with a pronounced alpine-type (i.e. transformed by glacial activity) relief, picturesque tectonic (Bolshoy and Maloye Toko) and alpine waterfalls, moraine (glacial ) sediments, etc.
Federal District: Far Eastern Federal District
Region: The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Type of reservoir: lakes
Fish: dace, perch, roach, grayling, pike, char, lenok, whitefish, taimen
Types of fishing: float fishing, bottom fishing, spinning, fly fishing, live bait fishing, winter types of fishing, other types of fishing
Length: 15 km
Width: 7.7 km
Maximum depth: 80 m
Square: 82.6 km²
GIMS: Ministry of Emergency Situations for the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Status: free
Bolshoye Toko is a large lake on the Aldan Highlands, in the Neryungri region of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), on its border with the Khabarovsk Territory.
The area of the water surface is 82.6 km². The lake is 15 km long and 7.7 km wide. The average depth is 42 m, the greatest is about 80 m. Due to the large depth of the reservoir, its water is highly transparent. The volume of enclosed water is 3.47 km³. Bolshoye Toko is the 14th lake in Yakutia and the 143rd lake in Russia in terms of water surface area.
Bolshoye Toko is the largest lake within the Stanovoy Range. The lake is of glacial-tectonic origin and is a tectonic depression processed by a glacier. It is characterized by an oval shape, elongated from north-northeast to south-southwest. It has several small bays of glacial origin. The coastline is slightly indented. The banks are flat. The reservoir is surrounded by a system of moraines, which are the result of the active activity of glaciers of the Quaternary period, descending from the slopes of the Stanovoy Range during the glaciation era. The complex of moraines forming the coast rises 60-100 m above the lake level and reaches a total width of 2-3 km. From the outside, this complex is represented by a steep terminal moraine ridge with ridges up to 10-15 m high. The ridges are composed of large rounded boulders and stone blocks untreated by the glacier. Towards the lake. Big Toko, the surface of the outer rampart gradually decreases and then breaks off into a ledge up to 60 m high. The moraines and bedrock banks are covered with larch forest.
The lake is located in an area of permafrost, the thickness of which in this area reaches 30 m. The depth of winter freezing and thawing is 0.3–4.0 m. Freeze-up occurs in October and continues until June. In autumn, the ice thickness is about 1 m, in winter the water freezes to 4 m. In summer, due to its great depth, the lake does not warm up well, but in the surface layer temperatures can rise to 15-18 ° C.
The catchment area is 919 km². The lake is replenished by precipitation and surface runoff. Three kilometers south of the lake. Bolshoye Toko lake is located. Maloye Toko has a mirror area of about 2.5 km². Both reservoirs are connected by a channel and the only significant tributary of the lake. Big Toko - the Utuk River, flowing from its southern side. The river flows from the northeastern end of the lake. Mulam, left tributary of the river. Idyum (right tributary of the Algama river).
There are no permanent settlements on the coast; it is geographically part of the Bolshoye Toko nature reserve.
Fish
The lake is home to taimen, lenok, grayling, whitefish, perch, pike, Arctic char, roach, and dace.
January 21st, 2013 , 08:47 pm
Photo by Irina Karman.
Bolshoye Toko is the largest lake within the Stanovoy Range with a surface area of 82.6 km² and is a tectonic depression processed by a glacier. It has the shape of a round reservoir, elongated in a northern direction, with small bays of glacial origin. The lake is located on the Tokino Plateau with absolute heights of 950−1100 m and a total area of more than 10 thousand km², with coordinates 57° 20" north latitude and 132° 40" east longitude. The plateau, also called the Tokinsky Basin, is bordered from the south and southeast by the Tokinsky Stanovik ridge, in the north by the Lower Gonamsky ridge, in the west by the Ningansky ridge, and in the east by the Uchur-Idyumsky ridge. The lake is located in the south of the basin and is limited by a system of ridges of terminal moraines, which are the result of the active activity of glaciers of the Quaternary period, descending from the slopes of the Stanovoy Range during the glaciation era. The complex of moraines that form the coast rises above the lake level to a height of up to 100 m and reaches a width of 2-3 km. From the outside, this complex is represented by a steep terminal moraine ridge, with ridges up to 10-15 m high. The ridges are composed of large rounded boulders and stone blocks untreated by the glacier. At a distance of two kilometers to the south there is Lake Maloe Toko (area 2.5 km²), which is connected by a channel to the only significant tributary of Lake Bolshoye Toko - the Utuk River. The entire flow occurs through the Mulam River, a left tributary of the Idyum.
The height of the water's edge, equal to 903 m, corresponds to the transition zone from mountain mid-taiga forests to the forest-tundra forest zone. The lake is located in an area of widespread permafrost, the thickness of which in this area reaches 30 m, the depth of winter freezing and thawing ranges from 0.3 to 4 m. The duration of winter in the area is 7/7.5 months, the average temperature is −30 ° C /-32°С. Maximum precipitation occurs in summer, the average calendar summer temperature is +17°С/+19°С. The lake area is seismically active, and strong earthquakes in the area may have been associated with the development and melting of glaciers during glacial periods. During the Quaternary period, volcanic or large geothermal eruptions may also have occurred in the vicinity of the lake.
The coast is covered with larch forest, where elk, wild deer, brown bear, sable, birds and waterfowl are found. The lake is home to taimen, lenok, grayling, whitefish, perch and pike. Due to the great depth of the reservoir, its water is highly transparent.
On the Aldan Highlands, in the Neryungri region of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), on its border with the Khabarovsk Territory. Located in the south of the Tokin Basin. The largest body of water within the Stanovoy Range. Belongs to the river basin Algamy, catchment area of the Laptev Sea.
The water's edge is located at an altitude of 903 m above sea level. The area of the water surface is 82.6 km2. The lake is 15 km long and 7.7 km wide. The average depth is 42 m, the greatest is about 80 m. The volume of enclosed water is 3.47 km 3. Bolshoye Toko is the 14th lake in Yakutia and the 143rd lake in Russia in terms of water surface area.
The lake is of glacial-tectonic origin and is a tectonic depression processed by a glacier. It is characterized by an oval shape, elongated from north-northeast to south-southwest. It has several small bays of glacial origin. The coastline is slightly indented. The banks are flat. The reservoir is surrounded by a system of moraines, which are the result of the active activity of glaciers of the Quaternary period, descending from the slopes of the Stanovoy Range during the glaciation era. The complex of moraines forming the coast rises 60–100 m above the lake level and reaches a total width of 2–3 km. From the outside, this complex is represented by a steep terminal moraine ridge with ridges up to 10–15 m high. The ridges are composed of large rounded boulders and stone blocks untreated by the glacier. Towards the lake. Big Toko, the surface of the outer rampart gradually decreases and then breaks off into a ledge up to 60 m high. The moraines and bedrock banks are covered with larch forest.
The lake area is seismically active; strong earthquakes in the area may have been associated with the development and melting of glaciers during glacial periods. During the Quaternary period, volcanic or large geothermal eruptions may also have occurred in the vicinity of the lake.
The lake is located in an area of permafrost, the thickness of which in this area reaches 30 m. The depth of winter freezing and thawing is 0.3–4.0 m.
Freeze-up begins in October and continues until June. In autumn, the ice thickness is about 1 m, in winter the water freezes to 4 m. In summer, due to its great depth, the lake does not warm up well, but in the surface layer temperatures can rise to 15–18 ° C.
The lake's water is slightly mineralized, characterized by a virtual absence of suspended particles and high transparency.
Lake zooplankton is distinguished by relatively high levels of species diversity and includes 20 species, of which rotifers – 40%, cladocerans – 35%, copepods – 25%. The taxonomic structure of the zooplankton community is ambiguous and depends on the season. Indicators of zooplankton development vary significantly by season, reaching a maximum in August.
The ichthyofauna of the lake includes taimen, lenok, grayling, whitefish, arctic char, roach, dace, perch and pike.
Since 1984, the lake was part of the natural zoological reserve of republican significance “Lake Big Toko”, transformed in 1997 into a resource reserve. Lake Bolshoye Toko and the Tokinsky Ridge are a natural monument of regional significance of the Khabarovsk Territory “Lake Bolshoye Toko and the finite moraine landscape.”
There are no permanent settlements on the lake coast. However, at a short distance from the lake in a western direction, the largest coking coal deposit in Russia is located - Elginskoye. If the mining enterprise reaches its design capacity, planned for 2018, the reservoir may be heavily polluted. Already today, the region around the lake is experiencing anthropogenic pressure associated with the use of heavy all-terrain vehicles that disturb the upper vegetation layer and contribute to the development of erosion processes.
