Irtysh-Karaganda Canal

Irtysh-Karaganda Canal

 

irrigation and water-supply canal in the Kazakh SSR.

The Irtysh-Karaganda Canal begins from the Irtysh River near the city of Ermak (Pavlodar Oblast) and extends 451 km from northeast to southwest to the Karaganda industrial region. Its width measures 20–40 m; its depth, 5–7 m. Eleven hydroelectric generating stations, 22 pump-lift stations, two standby reservoirs, and 17 bridges have been constructed on the canal, and a 524-km automotive highway has been built alongside it. Water is taken from the Irtysh at the rate of 75 cu m per sec. The canal is meant to supply water to Ekibastuz, Karaganda, and Temirtau and for the irrigation of 120,000 hectares of farmland. Its construction was completed in 1971.