Lake Donuzlav (Russian: Донузлав) also referred to as Donuzlav Bay is the deepest lake of Crimea (27 m, 89 ft) and biggest in Chornomorske Raion (47 km2, 18 sq mi). It is a protected landscape and recreational park of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. In practice it is no longer a lake[citation needed] but rather a bay since 1961, when a sandy spit (200–400 m, 660–1,310 ft wide) separating it from the Black Sea was dug out with a 200-metre width channel. The lake is as salty as the sea near its mouth but bottom springs make the water much more sweet near the head.
