Lake Amtkeli
lake in Upper Abkhazia north-western Georgia
Lake Amtkeli or Amtkel (Georgian: ამტყელის ტბა; Abkhaz: Амтҟьал) is a lake in the Gulripshi District of Abkhazia, Georgia that was formed on 3 October 1891 when an earthquake caused a landslide on the south-western slope of Mt. little Shkhapach into the valley of the Amtkeli River.
Geography
Lake Amtkeli is fed by the Amtkeli River, but only a small part of its water percolates through the obstructing rubble back into the river. The greater part leaves the lake through underground passages to the Jampali River. Due to the lake's limited discharge capacity, its water level rises strongly during snowmelt in May, leading to annual fluctuations of up to 40 m (131 ft) in the lake's average 512 m (1,680 ft) height above sea level and 65 m (213 ft) maximal depth, and increasing its length from 2.4 km (1.5 mi) to 4 km (2.5 mi). The average surface area of Lake Amtkeli is 0.58 km2 (0.22 sq mi), and its drainage basin measures 153 km2 (59 sq mi).
Due to the lake's origin, its underwater slopes are steep, following the surface slopes.
Human settlement
The village of Azanta is located next to lake Amtkeli, and some of its inhabitants keep fishing boats on its shore.
Environment
Lake Amtkeli is home to trout, chub, nase, barbel and spirlin.
In July and August, the lake's average surface temperature is 20 °C (68 °F), in Winter it rarely freezes over.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Lake Amtkeli” is lake in Upper Abkhazia north-western Georgia. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Lake, Amtkeli and lake, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “lake in Upper Abkhazia north-western Georgia” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 26, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2625905. Authority coordinates are 43.095, 41.298. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1891.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
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Three-step research path
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Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Lake Amtkeli” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.