Kamyslybas (Kazakh: Қамыстыбас, Qamystybas) is a large saltwater lake in the Kyzylorda Region, Kazakhstan.
[1] The health of lake Kamyslybas is directly affected by the Aral Sea, which experienced increasing salinization and desiccation as the result of excessive and unsustainable expansion of irrigation that have drained both the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya, the other major tributary river, and seriously damaged their deltas.
Similarly to attempts to rehabilitate and preserve the lower Amu Darya delta, efforts are also underway to improve lakes such as Kamyslybas and Tushchibas.
[3] Since the 1960s the lake has been well-known for its rich and diverse stocks of fish and wetland species, including carp, pike, catfish, perch, and waterfowl such as ducks, geese, and sandpipers.
In 1977, water was pumped into the lake from the Syr-Darya to maintain a sufficient water depth, which also helped maintain the average fishing catches and the aquaculture industry around the lake.