the west aral sea is expected to stabilize at , a mean depth of , and a maximum depth of , assuming groundwater discharge at the rate of per year. the eastern sea dried up completely in the summer of 2009, apart from the small permanent barsakelmes lake (between the northern and western seas), but it received some water from snow melt in the spring of 2010. it is expected to alternate between complete desiccation in the summers and the occasional flood from the amu darya or spillover from the dam holding back the north aral sea, though a second dike, begun in 2010, may reduce the incidence of the latter.