The Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Kamchatka Territory, together with the Ukulab-Kamchatka company, conducted a survey of Lake Khalaktyrskoye, during which numerous cases of thermal pollution were recorded. The specialists used unmanned aerial vehicles with thermal imagers, as well as trusted measuring devices for ground measurements, to detect wastewater discharge points with elevated temperatures.
During the survey of the western part of the lake shore, from the observation deck “Cygni” to the source of the Khalaktyrka River, multiple sources of water discharge were found, the temperature of which reached 12-13 ° C, while the average water temperature in the lake was about 4 ° C. This indicates significant thermal pollution, which can negatively affect the ecosystem of the lake, which is a habitat for anadromous and catadromous fish species, as well as wild swans.
Alexey Yurkov, Deputy Minister and head of the State Environmental Supervision Department, noted that wastewater discharges, whose temperature in winter is usually higher than the temperature of water in natural reservoirs, can be detected by indirect signs, such as washouts and evaporation recorded by UAVs. However, due to the abnormally warm winter, there was practically no ice on the lake, which complicated the task. Thanks to the use of thermal imaging, it was possible to detect the discharge points, which in the vast majority of cases were confirmed by ground inspection.
This survey is part of the regular monitoring of the condition of water bodies, which is under the authority of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Kamchatka Territory and is part of the regional environmental monitoring system. The identification and suppression of such violations of environmental legislation is important for preserving the unique ecosystem of Kamchatka and providing favorable conditions for the habitat of valuable fish and bird species.