In Sivas’s Ulaş district in southeastern Türkiye, Kellah Lake, which hosts a myriad of migratory birds, has completely dried up. The lake, now a stark white expanse in the middle of the steppe, was captured in aerial footage by a drone.
Located about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Ulaş, Kellah Lake has been affected by the hot weather. Like previous years, the lake has dried up completely this year due to drought.
Until 2014, Kellah Lake, fed by water sources from Tecer Mountain and rainfall, had always been an aquatic oasis.
However, it has been struggling with drought for the past decade. Due to climate change, the lake dries up completely every summer but refills with rain in the other three seasons.
The lake, which cannot be used for agricultural irrigation due to its salt content, turns into a white crust, resembling a white desert when dry.
Local expert Metin Köse, who mentioned that the lake is a completely natural formation, said: “Until about 10 years ago, our lake was full of water, but for the past decade, it has been drying up every summer during these months. In the fall, it regains surface water with the arrival of rain. Water was previously supplied by Tecer Mountain, but that water has also dried up.”
“Unfortunately, we have been unable to prevent the lake from drying up. Because of its salinity, it has not been used for agricultural irrigation. We have abundant water from Tecer Mountain. A project could be undertaken to extract water from there and direct it to this lake. The Tecer River, which flows into the Kızılırmak, could be connected here, potentially restoring the lake to its former beauty,” he suggested.
