INLAND WATERWAYS OF THE USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000400730009-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 20, 2013
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: October 12, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/05/20 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000400730009-7
CLASSIFICATION GONFENTIAL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY USSR
Ir *#r p~. /
DATE DISTR./ or ,4-
SUBJECT Inland Waterways of the USSR NO. OF PAGES 3
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
50X11
7X11 OOLIIM/NT do NIN INI INFONMAYI ON AFPC LTINO TNI NATI LN AL Of rIMIL
N P TNI A N I T L O / T A TL L I , I T N I N INC MIANINIOF TI TLI Iii /LOTI INI TI)
AMP 7101 OF TNI U. 1'W-L'O TO AI AML N OLO.. 171 TNAN OMI/1ION IN NIYI.
CATION OF III OONTINTI TO IN NLOIIPT 1T AM-YM AY TNONIIIO PINION II
PNONIIITIO /T LAN. INC NIFNOOUITION Or TOIL FORM II PION111TIO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
1.
o1ogipal studies revealed"that in a prior period perhaps three
tho uamd years ago the x Darya River flowed into Beryl amyshsk ya Ketl.iva
and found its way to the Caspian Sea, However,, since the
Amu Darya has out its present channel, the entire area south and
west of it is most and and, by and large composed of sand. The soil
appears to be 'ery rich and capable of considerable agricultural
yield.
2. In order to provide water for this fine but and soil plans.
fora network of canals. These canals were to be completed as three
indepdndent operations ? each operation was referred to as a "Variant*.
a. In Variant I9 it was proposed to dredge and clean out the Kunya
Darya ? xzd construct a canal south from Sarykawyshskaya Kotliva to
Krasnovodsk. Within the first Variant it was also planned that the
river bed of the R aslo Osboya.. south of Gory Bol r Shoy Balkhan would
be dredged and clued.
b. Variant II0 Glavniy Variant ZChief Varia ,
(1) It was proposed that the Ungu.z River would be dredged and cleaned
from the Amu Darya',,at Deynau west until it joined the B to
Ozboya.
c. Variant III.
(1) . Thee Kelivski Sobros, a. dry river bed.. would be dredged and a
CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/05/20 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000400730009-7
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/05/20 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000400730009-7
CONk?IDFNI'IAL
canal constructed and joined to the Margab River at Bolshevik,
From Bolshevik: a continuation of this canal would be extended
north on the Margab River all the way to Solodets Mirza Charle
where;: it would connect with the Unguz River canal.
d. The Zeravshaanaky Canal.
(1) The plan also included a canal from :Rabat - (east bank of
Amu Darya) to Gizhduvaxi. 50X1
3. No work was begun on a of these canals until the end of World War
II
. from gleaning various types of Soviet literature
that the Soviets completed Variant I by 1951.
46 Taxaortance aaf the kro?ected Gargles
a. One, c c th .. j paonemic problems of Ferghana and Central Asia
is to develop the cotton industry of the region. The primary
obstacle is, of course, lack of Sufficient water,
b. In an average year the USSR odu ,eas 3plQO,OOO tons of cotton,
Of this amount Central Asia LUS/ produces approximately three
m. ,ion tarns. - Agricultural specialists of the Soviet Unio maintain
that c&" the first Variant is completed Central Asia [US can
double her cotton output and produce another three million tons per
yer,
ry 50 years the water level of the Caspian Sea is lowered 50
f,
hd
om M uvan to Samarkand via the Zeravehan River
~_ - ._..... ~ ~.~. ~ ML Wal-er rou'~e
J ax?a portatigq/ from Moscow to , ? From Moscow to the
Caspian Sea via the Volga River- Fro 1 ?asnovodsk via the Usboy
Canal to the Ewa Darya canal which weed Join the Amy: Darya at
Ak-Rabat, from, . kkRabat to Gizhduvan via the 'Zerav s Canal.
? Gi
Caspian Sea via Variant Ip the additional water would out the
shrinkage to some degree - but not entirely.
A factor of utmost Importance relative to the development of
?9o'Qi a,..4- T .9- 1L_.L
e
W IV e
l arkhun O st in half m most of this region is sandy, although a
feat sp t ."are free of Banda. For 'two '? three months of the
sprite ga aeon much of the area is.very graven because of the growth:
of sedgep_ carc?axp and other grasses.
One of the chins reasons for the canal which would connect
Krasncvodsk ViKh Termez vie. Kerki is due to the proximity of the
Ashkhabad railway to Iran. In many places this railway is less
than two hundred meters from the Iranian border. The Soviets
reasoned abet `ia tl event of war this line could be repeatedly
out by saboteurs who could readily slip over the border into Iran.
The Soviets felt that the proposed canal would be sufficiently
distant from the border (that it could be protected)., am d that
since excellent railway facilities tied Termez to Samarkand, such
a. water route would serve to keep supplies flowing constantly.
The A River is by and lame > lkasya vaada ", hallow Ovate /, Its
Veraga aiepth Id 75 cenit tors. The Amu 6lao caarria s considerable
sand and Silt m .eoaisequ45ntlr veasal;s which draw over 75
csnti tern cannot .navigate this river, Much of the Ann is dredged
at 'lea'st 'once a yeAr axis. I dmetimee- twice; .result it was
deemod cha ape `to a t i. t '"alparallel to t,he, Ama from
C ?s1 a kao N e Pla40 ,were draawa for its ?az coon,
Belati'~`e b the Uxagtaski Variant the TT'no as river b
d t 4.
CONFIDENTIAL
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/05/20 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000400730009-7
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/05/20 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000400730009-7
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CONFIDENT,
The following dams were; ceaa~]Leted ;1932'z
. s pre eo was completed 1932. The dam is
40 ams ors long, and 25 motors wide at the top mater pan be
?abeka 0- irmAvi mile sotithea a
backed up at the rate of 25 pubic meters of water 0per second. Much
of the dam is earth fill* However the major` strtioture which is
located at laraUka,ul is concrete. ' The waters controlled at this
point ?er oared pr marily ,for the growth of cotton.
delta . E e n t b o u t 50, miles southeast o f ' M a r y in T u r k m e n US .
This dam was 6041eted'n 1932 and controls the "waters of the Murgab
River.. It ooztains about 120 meters of concrete. It stands eight
uteri high and is about three meters wide at the top. The bottom of
the dam is 15 meters! wide. The primary purpose for the construction
of the dam it
Sultan-Bent was to retain the high late spring waters
and provide sufficient water ;tor .the farms south of Sultan-Bent.
ILLEGIB
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/05/20 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000400730009-7