The Irtysh–Karaganda Canal ( kz, Ертіс-Қарағанды каналы, ''Ertıs-Qarağandy kanaly''; russian: Канал Иртыш — Караганда) is an irrigation canal in
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
. It connects the
Irtysh River
The Irtysh ( otk, 𐰼𐱅𐰾:𐰇𐰏𐰕𐰏, Ertis ügüzüg, mn, Эрчис мөрөн, ''Erchis mörön'', "erchleh", "twirl"; russian: Иртыш; kk, Ертіс, Ertis, ; Chinese: 额尔齐斯河, pinyin: ''É'ěrqísī hé'', Xiao'e ...
with
Karaganda
Karaganda or Qaraghandy ( kk, Қарағанды/Qarağandy, ; russian: Караганда, ) is the capital of Karaganda Region in the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is the fourth most populous city in Kazakhstan, behind Almaty (Alma-Ata), Astan ...
(Qaraghandy), a major industrial center in north-central Kazakhstan. After Kazakhstan's independence, the canal was officially renamed as the Kanysh Satpayev Canal (russian: Канал имени Каныша Сатпаева) after the Kazakh geologist
Kanysh Satpayev
Kanysh Imantayuli Satbayev ( kk, Қаныш Имантайұлы Сәтбаев, ''Qanyş İmantaiūly Sätbaev''; russian: Каны́ш Иманта́евич Сатпа́ев, ''Kanysh Imantaevich Satpaev'') (April 11, 1899 – January 31, 1 ...
.
Description
The canal starts at , just south of the city of
Aksu (formerly Yermak), where it takes water from one of the branches of the Irtysh River. It runs for 451 km in the general western, south-western, and southern direction. It reaches an industrial area on the north-eastern outskirts of Karaganda at (
Kokpekti District
Kokpekti ( kk, Көкпекті ауданы, translit=Kökpektı audany) is a district of the East Kazakhstan & Abai
Abai or ABAI may refer to:
People
* Abai (martyr) (died 363), saint of the Syrian Church
* Abai Ikwechegh (born 1923), Nigeria ...
), at which point its water apparently goes into an underground pipeline.
On its route, the canal passes through numerous reservoirs (the
Ekibastuz Reservoir
Ekibastuz ( kk, Екібастұз, translit=Ekıbastūz, , ەكئباستۇز; russian: Экибастуз) is a city in Pavlodar Region, northeastern Kazakhstan. The population was Ekibastuz is served by Ekibastuz Airport.
History
The history ...
(, about 10 km north of
Ekibastuz
Ekibastuz ( kk, Екібастұз, translit=Ekıbastūz, , ەكئباستۇز; russian: Экибастуз) is a city in Pavlodar Region, northeastern Kazakhstan. The population was Ekibastuz is served by Ekibastuz Airport.
History
The history ...
), as well as other reservoirs at , , etc.).
The canal crosses the
Nura River
The Nura ( kk, Нұра, ''Nura''; russian: Нура) is a major watercourse of northeast-central Kazakhstan. It is long and drains an area of .
Course
The river rises in the Kyzyltas mountains, a subrange of the Kazakh Uplands and flows initia ...
at , in what appears to be a tunnel. Some of the canal's water is directed into the Nura (a chute below the dam at ), replenishing this river.
As Karaganda is located at a higher elevation than the Irtysh, the canal is furnished with 22 pumping stations, raising the water by 475 m in total.
History
The construction of the canal started in 1962. It was put to use by 1968, and fully completed by 1974.
In the early 21st century, a pipeline was built from the canal to the
Ishim River
The Ishim (russian: Иши́м, Ishim; kk, Есіл, Esil) is a river running through Kazakhstan and Russia. It is long, and has a drainage basin of . Its average discharge is . It is a left tributary of the Irtysh. The Ishim is partly navig ...
, to supply Kazakhstan's capital
Astana
Astana, previously known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, and most recently Nur-Sultan, is the capital city of Kazakhstan.
The city lies on the banks of the Ishim River in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, within the Akmola Region, tho ...
with water.
As of 2013, proposals are floated in Kazakhstan about either extending the Irtysh–Karaganda Canal all the way to the Ishim River upstream of Astana, or building a new canal between the Irtysh and Astana.
According to a report published in 2013, the canal presently operates at only about one-half of its full capacity.
Notes
External links
*
CIrtysh-Karaganda
Canals in Kazakhstan
Irrigation canals
Canals opened in 1968
Canals opened in 1974
{{kazakhstan-geo-stub