This study investigates the seasonal variability of water quality in the Yelek River Basin, Western Kazakhstan, using data from 2010 to 2025 that combine remote sensing, GIS, and hydrochemical monitoring data. This research addresses growing pressures on river systems from both natural and anthropogenic factors. Archival records from Kazhydromet and recent field measurements were analysed for dissolved oxygen, total suspended solids (TSSs), and total dissolved solids (TDSs), while satellite indices (NDWI, NDTI) provided spatiotemporal insights into turbidity. The results show clear seasonal contrasts: total suspended solids and turbidity rise sharply during spring floods due to snowmelt and erosion; water quality declines during summer–autumn low-flow periods under intensified human influence; and partial recovery occurs in winter when ice cover stabilises flow. Dissolved oxygen consistently indicates moderate pollution, while total dissolved solids (TDSs) remains within the “clean” range. Integration of satellite data with field observations enabled the development of a turbidity model and highlighted the lower river reaches as most vulnerable, where total suspended solids exceeded permissible limits. The findings confirm the value of combining remote sensing and GIS with traditional monitoring to capture long-term river water dynamics. This approach offers practical tools for sustainable water management, informs regional environmental policies, and provides transferable insights for semi-arid transboundary basins in Central Asia.

This article discusses the quality of water resources in the Zhaiyk-Caspian water management basin under current conditions. An analysis of the main approach to assessing the quality of surface waters, implemented through the Unified Classification System, was conducted. Based on data for 2019-2023, it was found that most rivers correspond to quality classes 3-5. In 2023, in certain water bodies, such as Shagan, Derkol, Zhaiyk, and Elek, the quality class changed to 1 and 2. Priority pollutants were also identified, including magnesium, chlorides, ammonium nitrogen, phenols, hexavalent chromium and lead, whose indicators vary by sampling site and depend on the nature of water use. The results of the study are of interest to environmental monitoring and water resources management in the region.