The
South Aral Sea was a lake in the basin of the former
Aral Sea which formed in 1986 when that body divided in two, due to diversion of river inflow for
agriculture. In 2003 the South Aral Sea itself split into eastern and western basins, the
Eastern Sea and the
West Aral Sea, connected by a narrow channel (channel bed at an elevation of ) that balanced surface levels but did not allow mixing, and in 2005 the
North Aral Sea was dammed to prevent the collapse of its fisheries, cutting off the only remaining inflow to the southern lakes. In 2008 the Eastern Sea split again, and in May 2009 had almost completely dried out, leaving only the small permanent Barsakelmes Lake between the Northern and Western Seas and increasing the expanse of the
Aralkum desert. In 2010, it was partially filled again by meltwater, and by 2014 was once again dry. The West Aral Sea has some replenishment from groundwater in the northwest, and so is likely to avoid desiccation.