The Zyuratkul National Park was organized on November 3, 1993.
The total area is 88,249 hectares, the length from north to south is
49 km, the length from west to east is 28 km.
The park
fulfills the following main tasks: preservation of standard and
unique natural complexes, monuments of nature, history, culture,
archeology and other objects of cultural heritage; environmental
education of the population; development and implementation of
scientific methods of nature protection in conditions of
recreational use; environmental monitoring; restoration of damaged
natural and historical and cultural complexes; creating conditions
for regulated tourism and recreation.
The national park is
administered by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the
Russian Federation.
On the territory of the park there is a reservoir
Zyuratkul - the only alpine lake on the western slope of the
Southern Urals (724 m above sea level) and many mountain ranges,
including Zyuratkul (length 8 km, height 1175.2 m), Nurgush (height
1406 m).
The location of the Zyuratkul park at the junction
of two natural zones - taiga and forest-steppe - determined the
richness of flora and fauna.
According to BDT, the stress in
the word Zyuratkul is placed on the last syllable (“Zyuratkul”), the
local pronunciation is characterized by the stress on the second
syllable (“Zyuratkul”).
The park includes such
natural monuments as the high-mountainous reservoir Zyuratkul, the
Kalagaza and Berezyak rivers, the Zyuratkul Pillars rocks, the Elm
Grove. Numerous attractions of the park: a mountain-tundra plateau
with an area of 9 km² at the top of the Nurgush ridge, an artesian
spring Fountain in the upper reaches of the Malaya Satka River,
relict larch forests on the Urenga and Lukash (Nukash) ridges,
relict spruce forests on the Nurgush and Lukash ridges, a rocky
remnant on the the Berezyak river in the Vinogradov khutor tract, an
onion meadow in the upper reaches of the Malaya Satka river, a dam
on the lake, a diversion (directing) channel 9 km long from the lake
to the building of the hydroelectric power station in the village of
Magnitka, areas of relict forest-steppe vegetation at an altitude of
850 m above sea level on the Maliy ridge Moskal, peat bogs at Cape
Dolgy Spruce, Medvedi rocks on the Zyuratkul ridge.
Vegetable
world
The territory is dominated by forests - spruce and
spruce-fir, as well as birch forests. The richness of flora proves
the presence of 653 plant species, including Siberian and European
(Siberian fir, European spruce, etc.). 70 rare plants of the park
are listed in the Red Book of Russia, among them: a real slipper, a
large-flowered slipper, a leafless caper, a male orchis, an Ural
anemone and pulmonary lobaria.
90% of the territory is
occupied by dark coniferous taiga, but in some areas birch is found.
The fauna of "Zyuratkul" has 214 species, including 40 species of mammals: predators - 14 (bear, wolf, fox, marten, ermine, etc.), ungulates - 3 (elk, roe deer, rarely wild boar), hares - 2. The fauna also includes fish - 17 (bream, perch, grayling, burbot, pike and others), amphibians - 3, reptiles - 6, birds - 145. There are rare species of animals: European mink, golden eagle, peregrine falcon, eagle owl, European grayling, mnemosyne and common apollo. These species are included in the Red Book of Russia.
On the shore of the lake, 12
sites of ancient people of two eras were discovered: the Mesolithic
- 12 thousand years, the Neolithic - 6-3 thousand years ago. Parts
of buildings, products, stone axes, bronze tips, scrapers, chops,
etc. have been preserved. The exposition of the Satka Museum of
Local Lore, dedicated to this period of time, presents many items of
excavation.
Also, recently discovered a geoglyph on the
ground in the form of an elk measuring 218 by 195 meters. The image
is estimated to be around 8000 years old.
The main tourist attractions are 5 ridges and a high-mountain lake.
A convenient "ecological path" has been laid to the foot of the
Zyuratkul ridge.
At the recreation center "Ecopark Zyuratkul"
there is a mini-zoo.
It is in the process of being formed. Not
all animals of the menagerie live in the nature of the Urals. For
example, the black (Himalayan) bear and camel are more typical for
other natural areas. Also at the recreation center "Eco-Park
Zyuratkul" there is the Center for riding sports "Wild dogs" where
in winter you can ride a dog sled.
Also in the national park
between the village of Zyuratkul and the village of Magnitsky there
is a maral breeding farm "Bear Joy", which contains semi-wild deer
brought from Altai.
The trout farm is no longer operational.