he Amu-Bukhara pumping canal project is an important stage in the
T solution of the problem of irrigation waier supply in Zarafshan valley

which is a major cotton producing region suffering from acule water
deficiency. Reliable water supply for irrigation in the valley stands at 67 per
cent and in bad years it may be as low as 52 per cent.

The construction of the canal has been undertaken by the “Uzglavved-
$ о! Construction Trust on the basis of a project drawn ир by the "Uzgipro-
vodkhoz' Designing Institute.

The first section of the сапа! was completed in 1965 and inlended io
improve the water supply in Samarkand and Bukhara regions. Feeding of the
canal is realized through damless water intake on the right bank of the
Amudarya river at Yumalandi elevation.

The meandering of the Amudarya river and washing of the banks have
necessitaled the construction of two headrace canals а! а distance of 10 km
one from the other. Suction dredges are used to remove fine sand sediments
in the stilling ponds.

On the 14th km of the Amu-Bukhara canal there is a water distributor
from which starts a branch 47.1 km long with а discharge of 48 cu.m per second
delivered by pumps. On this branch siand the Alat and Karakul pumping
stelions which raise the waler to 8.2 and 12 metres respectively.

The firsi section of the Amu-Bukhara canal which is 49 km long runs across
the sand dunes of the Kizilkum deseri. Then the water is raised to a height
о! 45 mefres by the "“Khamza — " pumping station at the rate of 66 cu.m
per second. From there begins the pumping section of the canal 118.6 km
long which runs through hard sandstone, through sandy desert and crosses
an elevation of limestone. Direclional explosions were widely used to speed
up construction of the canal bed in hard rock. On the 169th km of the canal
siands the Kuyumazar pumping station which raises waler to 14—22 metres
at the rate of 100 cu.m per second. The pumping station delivers water mainly
о the fail section of the Amu-Bukhara canal which is 11 km long and
which divides into two branches. Outside of the vegetation period the water

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