Kara-Kum Canal
The V. I. Lenin Kara-Kum Canal, which diverts about 40 percent of the waters of the Amu Dar'ya across the Kara-Kum Desert to southern Turkmenistan, flows for almost 800 kilometers and in 1973 irrigated 440,000 hectares of land mostly used for cotton cultivation. The canal originates at Oba, Turkmenistan, 10 kilometers from the Afghan border and 10 kilometers from Kerki. The main areas of irrigation are the Mary, Tedzhen, and Ashkhabad (Ashgabat) oases.
The canal was approved in 1947, although engineering work was not begun in earnest until 1954. The initial 400 kilometers from the Amu Dar'ya to the Merv oasis was completed in 1959. By 1960 a further 140 kilometers to the Tedzhen oasis had been built. In 1962the canal reached Ashkhabad and in 1967 the 300-kilometer section from Tedzhen to Goek Tepe was completed. The canal ends at the Kopet Dagh Reservoir, which has a capacity of 190 million cubic meters. There are a further two reservoirs at Ashkhabad of 6 million cubic meters and 48 million cubic meters. The canal is navigable for 450 kilometers. Catfish, carp, and barbel are commercially fished from the canal's waters.
Although the canal has been described as one of the most impressive technical feats of Soviet engineering, it has been the cause of a number of environmental problems. Some estimates suggest that as much as 45 percent of the water entering the canal is lost to evaporation and seepage. These losses result in more diversion from the Amu Dar'ya and cause a major reduction in the Amu Dar'ya's flow, contributing to the disappearance of the Aral Sea. Seepage has also led to soil salinization due to a rise in the water table.
Further Reading
Allworth, Edward, ed. (1989) Central Asia: 120 Years of Russian Rule. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
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