PERSPECTIVES OF THE PRACTICAL USE OF THE KIZILTASHSKY
LIMAN GROUP
Marina Krylenko, Southern Branch of the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology RAS, Russia
krylenko@mail.ru
The Kiziltashsky limans are the largest water bodies of land-to-sea interface zone of the
Krasnodar region Black Sea coast separated from the Black Sea by Anapa bay-bar. Theirterritory is included in the Perspective list of the Ramsar Convention as a unique wetlandof international importance. Currently, the main type of recreational use of the liman
water area is active rest. A diversity of natural conditions, a small degree of economictransformation of the landscape in combination with good transport access makes it
possible to combine the active recreation forms with health-improving rest at the Anapa
resort. In the presented paper the different proposals for economic use of the Kiziltashsky
limans are analysed in terms of influence to geoecosystem.
Key words: liman, Kuban river delta, economic use, recreation.
I. INTRODUCTION
The resort-town Anapa - one of the largest seaside Russian resorts is located near the
Kiziltashsky limans. The Kiziltashsky limans is group of the big lagoons of the Russian BlackSea coast. The Kiziltashsky limans is part of the Tamansky liman system of the Kuban Riverdelta and separated from the Black Sea by Anapa bay-bar [1]. The water area and coasts of the
Kiziltashsky limans belong to the Anapa and Temryuk districts of the Krasnodar region. The
limans are included in the Perspective list of the Ramsar Convention as a unique wetland ofinternational importance [2]. In addition, the Kiziltashsky limans is the only area of the artificial
reproduction of mullets in Russia.
Scientific estimate of the natural recreational potential of the Kiziltashsky limans isessential for spectrum broadening of the recreational activity, increase it scale, implication into
recreational complex new areas. On the one hand the current natural differentiation of therecreation space creates special condition toward realization recreational goal of man, on theother hand the causes recreation organizers take into account information about various qualitiesof the natural constituents for the purpose of effective organization and sustained development of
the recreational area [3]. However, attractive properties of the Kiziltashsky limans’ landscape areused scantily within the framework of the recreational activity in Krasnodar region because of
absence of scientific and adapted information for users and recreational activity initiators.
II. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE KIZILTASHSKY LIMANS’ GEOSYSTEM
Kiziltashsky liman group consists of Lake Solyenoye, Bugazsky (Kiziltashsky) liman,
Vityazevsky liman, Tsokur liman, Anapskiye Plavni (Fig. 1). Limans are formed in the gulf of
the Black Sea after Anapa bay-bar generation [1].
The climate of the Kiziltashsky limans area is characterized by features of theMediterranean type with wet winter and dry hot summer. Duration of the frostless season is 165170 days. In summer the minimum air temperature is 24-26°C, an absolute maximum makes

39°C. The annual average rainfall amount is from 254 to 717 mm, within a year they are
distributed rather evenly. Now functioning of the Kiziltashsky limans’ geoecosystem largely isregulated by the hydrological regime of the Black Sea adjacent water area [4]. This area differsfrom other Russia Black Sea coast by bigger amplitude of the sea level fluctuations. Annual
average level can deviate from annual average mark. The maximum excess 16 cm and the
maximum decrease 24 cm are noted. The intra-annual level depends on seasonal climatic factors.
On their background the acyclic fluctuations of the level variability are shown [5].

Fig. 1. Location of the Kiziltashsky liman group [6].
Formation of the Kiziltashsky limans’ group and the Anapa bay-bar started 8-5th years
ago when the last glacier period ended. The level of the Black Sea at that time was by 80-90 m
below its present level [7]. After the Holocene transgression (7-5th yr. BP) the alluvium of the
Kuban River was not transported to the basin of the Black Sea, instead it accumulated in thebasins of the bays (future lagoons) The formation of the Anapa Bay-bar occurred from the coast
abrasion material. The products of shore destruction were entrained into the alongshore flow of
sediments forming spits with the basement at the southern tips of capes gradually closing theentrances to Bugazsky (Kiziltashsky) and Vityazevsky bays [7]. After the northern and southernparts merged, a system of the Kiziltashsky limans was formed.
The Kiziltashsky group was united into a single water basin (“Kuban liman”), throughwhich the Kuban River debouched into the Black Sea. As the alluvial sediments accumulated in
the estuary of the river, the parts of the lagoon separated and formed the smaller lagoon [1].
Vityazevsky liman is located at north of Anapa. It is separated from the Kiziltashsky
group by accumulative sediments of the Kuban River and remains of the Blagoveshchensky
butte [8]. The water supply occurs due to the atmospheric precipitation and surface discharge aswell as by the waters of the Black Sea, which are filtered by the bay-bar and over washed during
the storms. Additional artificial water supply to the lagoon occurs by means of the irrigation
system of the Old Kuban River in the region of the Suvorov-Cherkessky town. Now Vityazevsky
liman has no direct water exchange with other Kiziltashsky limans and sometimes it isconsidered as a separate nature reservoir.
The Kiziltashsky limans located to the north of the Blagoveshchensky butte are uniform

hydrological object. The Kiziltashsky limans group is divided into three main parts byconfiguration of the coast and accumulative forms: Kiziltashsky liman (its area is 15700 ha),Bugasky liman (4050 ha), and Tsokur liman (4670 ha). All parts are shallow basins of the lagoon
type. The depths vary from 0.3 to 2.5 m. A direct permanent water exchange exists only between
Kiziltashsky liman and Bugazsky liman (Fig. 1). The water exchange between Kiziltashsky
liman and Tsokur liman is small due to the low water level.
Up to the end of the 19th century the water from the Kuban River was flowing to the
Kiziltashsky liman. The water excess was flowing to the sea through the Bugazsky Channel,
which is 150-650 m wide. In the 1940s, the transport of the Kuban water to Kiziltashsky liman
terminated. In January 1955, a channel of the Kiziltashsky mullet fishing farm was madebetween the sea and the Bugazsky liman, which was regulated by a water lock [9]. The artificial
Bugazsky Channel (sea water supply) and the Main Channel (fresh water supply from the Kuban
River) controls the water exchange in the lagoon.
Simultaneously, the operation of these channels provides seasonal migrations of themullet fish. As a result of shallowness and lack of free water exchange with the Black Sea thehydrological regime of the Kiziltashsky group is distinguished for high dynamics. In the summer
time, the water level in the lagoon may decrease to 0.1-0.2 m below the sea level, while in thewinter time it can exceed the sea level by the same value [7]. As a result of the non-uniform
water supply with the fresh and sea waters, salinity fluctuates strongly in time and over theirterritories. Salinity in the Bugazsky liman fluctuates within 39.5-50.0‰, in the Kiziltashsky
liman it ranges within 29.0-58.0‰. The maximum salinity (82‰) was recorded in the westernpart of the Tsokur liman (in August), while the minimum salinity (18‰) was in the mouth of themain channel and the Gostagaika River [2].
Coast of Kiziltashsky limans’ group is presented by sites of the original abrasion coast
and accumulative forms. Original coast as a rule is high with the expressed cliff. Accumulative
sites are presented, first of all, by fragments of the Anapa bay-bar separating liman from the sea.
Vityazevskaya bay-bar has width of 0.5-1.0 km, Bugazskaya bay-bar has width of 0.08-0.3 km.
Within the Anapa bay-bar there are pronounced eolian forms (dunes) here and there coming
closely to the liman coasts. One or more beach bars up to 0.5 m in height are observed along thewater edge. The bars are composed of mollusk shells dwelling in the lagoon. Comparatively
small spits are located by capes of the original coast or curves of the Anapa bay-bar body.
Golen’kaya spit separating limans Bugazsky and Kiziltashsky is the largest one. Despite the highchangeability of volume and configuration, the spit has already existed at least for several
centuries (Fig. 2-4).
Both the original coast sections and accumulative ones are characterized by aconsiderable decrease of the water level and exposure of vast bottom areas along the coast insummer and autumn. The fluctuation range of the sea level and the foreshore area in Vityazevsky
liman are considerably higher than those in Kiziltashsky and Bugazsky limans.
The liman costs above the foreshore are covered with near-water vegetation (Fig. 5). The
vegetation types are as follows: overflow lands, meadows, steppe meadows, salt marshes, floodplain forests, and psammophilous.
Overflow lands occur at the site of limans and can be considered as a certain stage of
their extinction. This vegetation type is represented by Arundinoideae or Typhoideae
communities spreading along the liman coasts and covering significant areas.

Fig. 2. Shelly accumulative forms, Vityazevsky liman.

Fig. 3. Shelly bars.

Fig. 4. Golen’kaya spit deviding Bugazsky and Kiziltashsky limans [13].
Steppe meadows occupy raised sections of the liman main coasts. Meadow plants prevailin the grass but they are necessarily accompanied by steppe species. On the west liman shores,
the coastal flora is contiguous with wormwood-turf-gramineous plant steppes. On the east andnorth coasts, mixed herbs-fescue-feather grass steppes adjoin the coastal vegetation.
In liman apexes, where the salt regime and hydrological conditions change quickly, thecoastal area is partly occupied by salt marshes. The plants are adapted to the higher salt content
in the environment. Well-marked phytocenoses’ boundaries are peculiar to the vegetation [2].
The psammophilous plant complex is represented on the liman shores within the limits ofsandy Anapa bay-bar. On the segments with weakly fixed sands the vegetation mainly consists ofplants adapted to the life under conditions of movable substrate. The most typical species is
Elymus arenarius, a gramineous plant with long rhizomes. On the settled sandy substrate the ofthe plant communities composition changes and phytocenoses are of more stable character [2].
On the sections with sands which are the least effected by wind and water, habitual meadow
species occur.

Fig. 5. Liman coast.
There are no forests on the liman coasts but individual instances or clumps of trees andbushes composed of local and introduced species (Elaeagnus angustifolia L., Populus,
Gleditschia, Robínia pseudoacácia, Cotinus coggýgria, Támarix, Ligústrum, Ácer, and Sálix)may occur. The trees are of 3–5 m in height. There are gardens and vineyards limited by forest
belts near the settlements [10].
Islands and peninsulas in the limans are only about 1% of the total area.
In the open water area of the limans, Ruppia spiralis and Zostera marina are widely
spread and form underwater thicket with projective coverage up to 80–90%. The state of theplant communities in the limans was significantly influenced by sharp changes of hydrologicaland hydrochemical characteristics resulted from changes of the Kuban river discharge andsubsequent anthropogenic regulation of the liman ecosystem.
Forty five species of fish inhabit the Kiziltashsky limans. As far as invertebrates areconcerned, there are numerous Black sea mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis), mytilasters(Mytilaster lineatus), Mediterranean green crabs (Carcinus mediterraneus), warty crabs (Eriphia
verrucosa), and mysids (Mysidacea) in the salt waters of the fishing area. The Kiziltashsky
limans are of great importance for reproduction of colonial near-water birds, including rare ones;
21 bird species have their nests there. The limans are the most important place to have a rest for
natatorial and near-water birds during the migration period. Approximately 12–18 species ofnatatorial and near-water birds stay for wintering there (Fig. 6) [9].
III. CURRENT AND PERSPECTIVE PRACTICAL USE OF THE KIZILTASHSKY LIMANS
Prospects for economical use of the Kiziltashsky limans essentially depend on a numberof natural and anthropogenic factors. In fact, the whole geoecosystem of the limans has beennatural and technogenic already for more than 60 years.
The Kiziltashsky limans, which were basins with fresh lotic waters, having lost thereplenishment with the Kuban river waters and the open water exchange with the sea in the earlyyears of the 20th century, became stagnant basins with higher salinity. Almost complete dryingout of the limans was observed in the 1940s – 1950s. If the artificial replenishment of the limans
with fresh and sea waters is stopped, salinization and drying out of the limans will occur again ina few years. At present the limans’ ecosystem actually exists only due to the human intervention.

Thus, the anthropogenic impact under consideration can be estimated in total as favorable forsupporting biodiversity and productivity of the limans’ ecosystems.

Fig. 6. The cranes on the liman coast.
Sixty five fish species lived in the Kiziltashsky lagoons before their salinification. Now,
their number decreased to 45 species [11]. In 1955, a separate mullet fishing farm with a totalsquare of 24.4th. ha was formed in the Kiziltashsky lagoon group (Bugazsky liman, Kiziltashsky
liman, and Tsokur liman). In autumn, large sexually mature grey mullet and young fish werecaught here. Since 1978 the Kiziltashsky lagoon group started to be used for fattening
reproductive basins to replenish the Caucasus grey mullet stock. Fattening in the lagoons is abiological necessity for Caucasus mullet. Intense growth of mullets, increase in fatness, and fat
accumulation occurs only when they are fed by fouling and detritus, which are abundant in the
lagoon group. The Kiziltashsky fattening reproduction farm is the only farm in the south of
Russia for fattening and reproduction of the Azov-Black Sea mullet. Young fish and the fish ofgreater age, which appeared in the lagoon after passing the artificial channel with the sea, fatten
in the lagoon group. In summer, the mullet reproducers travel to the sea for spawning. The
grown specimens of the Azov-Black Sea mullets return to the sea for wintering. On the basis of
the mullet Mugil soiuy acclimatized in 1987-1989 from the Far East to the Black Sea the selfreplicating population was formed. In spring a total of 300-400 th. specimens of the Azov-BlackSea mullet and Mugil soiuy mullet reproducers enter the Kiziltashsky lagoon group. In winter,the young Mugil soiuy mullet fish and fish of greater age migrate to the channel that starts in the
Kuban River and debouches into iziltashsky liman, while part of the Mugil soiuy remains in
Kiziltashsky liman.
At present, no commercial fishery activity is performed in the Kiziltashsky lagoon group.
Spawning-fattening farm is involved only in the reproduction and protection of mullet fish.
Vineyards and gardens are located on the western and northern shores of the lagoons. The
accumulative isthmus between Kiziltashsky liman and Vityazevsky liman is used for planting
irrigated plants. Eight fattening and milk farms are located around the lagoons. Cattle breeding
pastures are located around the lagoons and haying is organized here [12].
In recent years projects for filling of the liman water area are put forward for the creationof man-made objects or harbors for ships. Due to technical difficulties (small depth, alongshore
sediment flux) and eventual environmental problems (protective construction can lead to erosionof the bay-bar sandy coasts) the projects have not received development.
Recently the new General plan of the Anapa resort development has been developed andapproved. According to the General plan, one of the elements of the planned development of the
Vityazevo town is formation of several artificial islands in the basin of Vityazevsky liman. It isplanned to locate recreation zones in the new territories and related constructions (Fig. 7).
As it is mentioned earlier, shallow water is one of the peculiarities of the Kiziltashsky
lagoon group. The depth over the major part of the basin does not exceed 1.5-2 m. The waterexchange between the lagoons is low. The concentration of organic matter in the lagoon group ishigh, and water is strongly heated in the summer time. These causes intense water blooming andaccumulation of large amounts of died-off algae in the summit parts of the lagoon group and attheir shallow beaches. Toxic substances are formed during the vital activity of some micro-algae
and their degradation, which are hazardous for the aquatic fauna and humans. Disgusting stink of
decaying algae in summer decreases the recreating potential of the Vityazevo town. Creation of
artificial islands and separation of the stagnant part of Vityazevsky liman will clearly lead to theintensification of the negative processes. The newly formed territories and the objects located onthese lands will lose their investment attraction.

Fig. 7. Projects of the creation of artificial territories [13].
A lack of treatment facilities at recreational objects, especially seasonal ones, should benoticed among negative anthropogenic factors. The negative impact of the municipal solid waste
entering the limans from the surrounding coasts or from the Black sea is evident. The shores ofspits and islands are littered with plastic cans, bottles, paper, etc. Burning the near-water
vegetation causes a considerable damage to the limans’ fauna.
Thus, successful implementation of the scheme offered by the General plan will demand
performance of continuous actions for water cleaning of Vityazevsky liman.
Location of an industrial and communal zone, which is necessary to provide functioningof objects of the designed gambling zone, at the entrance to the village of Blagoveschenskayafrom the direction of the settlement of Suvorov-Cherkessky can cause negative subsequences.

The general layout also provides for construction of a new road running directly along
Vityazevsky liman coast. The road exploitation will necessarily cause a considerable increase ofpollution entering the basin. As the above mentioned area is included into the water protection
zone of water objects, this solution is not correct and brings about an increase of anthropogenic
load on the ecosystem of Kiziltashsky and Vityazevsky limans. In addition to that, location ofcultural and entertaining objects will inevitably break the conditions of habitat and migration for
natatorial birds.
Along with estimating the anthropogenic impact upon the Kiziltashsky limans’
geoecosystem, natural threats should also be mentioned. Our research showed [8] that the sea
shore recession has taken place at Anapa bay-bar for the last decades. The reduction in width of
the accumulative body’s above-water part is observed for a number of the Bugaz bay-bar
segments. In case of continuing shore recession, the above-water part of Bugaz bay-bar can
decay. Nevertheless, we consider Bugazsky liman joining with the sea to be favorable for the
Kiziltashsky group of limans. Given the permanent water exchange with the sea, the water leveland salinity in the liman will be stabilized. Seasonal migrations of fish will take place in anatural way. A similar ecosystem change can also happen with Vityazevsky liman, but taking into
account that Vityazevo bay-bar is significantly wider, a resumption of the permanent waterexchange with the sea could be hardly expected there in the foreseeable future.
At present, the prospects for exploring the area of Anapa bay-bar and the Kiziltashsky
limans suppose the prevailing development of the recreation sector. At the same time, a proper
recreational infrastructure will be developed. With the observance of environmental legislationand carrying out of measures to increase stability of the Kiziltashsky limans, the above
mentioned exploration will not cause considerable damage to the unique marine coastal
landscape. The plans of constructing cargo or naval ports in the water areas of the Kiziltashsky
limans do not seem to be very realistic especially with the opportunity of building such objects
on the Taman peninsula. The agricultural development supposed within the limits of the
Kiziltashsky limans’ drainage area can result in increasing pollution of the surface waters. Taking
in account the specialization of the region (high-technology wine-growing) this impact will not
be significant while keeping up the technologies.
IV. CONCLUSION
A diversity of natural conditions, a small degree of economic transformation of thelandscape in combination with good transport access makes it possible to combine the active
recreation forms at the Kiziltashsky limans with health-improving rest at the Anapa resort. The
optimum variant is to increase the recreational potential of the Kiziltash limans and thedevelopment of the area as a resort that will be promote to balanced economic development of
the region. Nevertheless now the recreational potential of the Kiziltashsky limans is usedinsufficiently. At the present stage of the resort development it is necessary to increase therecreational attraction, esthetic expressiveness and ecological stability of used landscapes. The
advanced types of the liman water area recreational use are active rest: sportfishing, kiting,windsurfing and others. A variety of flora and fauna gives the chance for development of a
network of ecological tracks and to develop cultural-informative of tourism sector. Creation of
the mud-therapy resort is possible at Lake Solenoe. For expansion of the recreational
opportunities it is necessary to reach a decision of a number of the problems connected both withexistence of natural risks and with irrational economic use.
The most important inter-branch contradiction, both now and in the near future, is theconflict between recreational use of the Kiziltashsky limans and natural landscape protection.
For solving this problem it is necessary to determine boundaries of the first protection zone of
the resort including the entire dune zone and the liman coasts which are an integral part of thecoastal recreational resource. Also it is important to create a specially protected natural territory
based on the Ramsar wetlands and the Anapa resort area. Within the protected natural territory it
is necessary to establish a differential protection regime taking in account natural, historical,
cultural, economical and other peculiarities. The functional zones, selected on the base of naturaland social-economic factors, should contribute to the efficient economical use with the best
advantage for the region economy and also provide the proper protection for the unique naturalcomplex of the Kiziltashsky limans.
V. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The researchers are realized with support of the Russian Science Foundation (project no.
14-50-00095).
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