What is a water channel? It is an artificial stream created for some purpose. This may be irrigation of land, redirection of the current or shortening of routes. Some water channels were used by tourists as a place of rest. There are beautiful landscapes, clean air, many birds. There are two reasons for creating canals: the transfer of water resources or goods. As a rule, most of these reservoirs are navigable.
The channel called Karakum is quite important for its state. It is made up of several parts.
Description
In 1988, a unique hydrotechnical facility, the Karakum Canal, was put into operation in the Soviet Union. The length of the stream was 1,450 kilometers, and it connected the recalcitrant Amu Darya River (locally called Jeyhun) and the Caspian Sea. There are no analogues in the world in terms of complexity, design solutions and difficulties inexploitation due to the extreme natural conditions of the desert expanses of the Karakum.
Reason for building the channel
For more than thirty years (since 1954) the construction of the Karakum Canal has been underway, the time of its creation united the eras of Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev and attracted representatives of 32 nationalities from 250 cities of the Soviet Union. Each region of the vast country considered it its duty to send special materials, equipment and provide other necessary assistance for the gigantic all-Union project.
The problem of supplying water to arid regions of Turkmenistan has been standing for a long time. It was the most significant task of its time. But only a strong and economically developed state can turn the waters of a naughty, obstinate river and let them through the boundless sands of the desert.
Construction
The Karakum canal was built in several stages, each of which connected certain settlements with a water stream. The first branch of the canal, from the Amu Darya River to the city of Murgab, was laid in 1959. It was about 400 km long. An important result of the construction of the first stage of the water flow is the possibility of putting into circulation new irrigated lands with an area of over 1000 square meters. km. The next section passed through the settlement of Tejen. It was approximately 140 km long and allowed to provide 700 sq. km and support an additional 30,000 hectares of irrigated fields.
To the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, the Karakum Canal was built in 1962. By this time, its length was almost 800 km. The area of newly irrigated land along the entire direction of the flow has reached about 3000 square meters. km.
During this period, the construction of the canal was suspended and only in 1971 resumed again. The builders started the construction of the fourth branch, which had the direction Ashgabat - Beriket. At the same time, the Kopetdag dam and the reservoir of the same name were erected.
Further fate of the channel
Later, the designers divided the Karakum Canal into two directions. One branch stretched to the southwestern region of Turkmenistan to the settlement of Atrek and was 270 km long. The second branch went to the city of Nebit-Dag. The last section of the canal passes through pipes and supplies water to the former Krasnovodsk (modern Turkmenbashi).
Already in the period of modern history, at the beginning of the 21st century, the builders of independent Turkmenistan erected the largest reservoir in the region - the Zeidskoe, in order to settle and clarify the water.
Due to the constant sandstorms at the turns of the canal, where the banks often collapse, work is carried out all year round by special operational organizations for supervision and support, the Karakum Canal is so complicated. The history of this building is really interesting.
