In the 20th century, the Aral Sea was one of the largest reservoirs in the world. Port cities opened around it one after another. Many tourists from all over the Soviet Union came to the beaches of the Aral Sea.
But in the 1970s, the sea began to dry up as a result of the incorrect use of the water of the rivers flowing into it for irrigation. The water level dropped dramatically, the fish began to disappear. This led to a change of the climate in the region.
At present, only two small reservoirs remain in place of the sea: Big and Small Aral Sea. The Big Sea is located on the border of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, while the Small Aral Sea is situated entirely on the territory of the Kazakh Republic.
In 2005, Kazakhstan completed the construction of Kokaral Dam 6 meters of high and about 300 meters of width on the Small Aral Sea. Due to this, the water of the Syrdarya began to accumulate in this part of the reservoir, thereby increasing the water level in the sea.
The fish population began to increase. In previous years, only flounder survived here due to the high salinity. Today, 23 species of fish are found in the sea, including carp, pike perch, roach and others.
