Vízügyi Közlemények, 1935 (17. évfolyam)

Kivonatok, mellékletek - Kivonat a 4. számhoz

24 to about 100 metres. The walls of locks, at altitudes of 14 m, are built of wood. In addition, other great waterways are projected in the North. Among these, one of the most important plans is the connection of the upper Kama with the TobolOb district (Tchussowaia). Furthermore it is proposed to connect the Kama with the Petchora, and through the latter with the Arctic Ocean. A branch of the Marien canal into the Dwina district to Archangelsk is also projected. Irrigation is a task of as great importance as waterway-construction. In making waterways, West-Russia has the lead, while in establishing irrigation plants the inhabitants of Irane, who have the advantage of a thousand years' experience show the way. Before the war, about 3-5 million hectares were irrigated in Russian Central Asia and Transcaucasus. Of late years the Soviet Government has made great efforts to establish new irrigation plants in both these divisions, in order to increase the production of cotton. Other new projects promise still greater progress (Hungersteppe, Serafshen, Tshu, Waksh in Central Asia, Mil, Shirwan in the Caucasus), while great plans have been made to secure the wheat-harvests in the middle and lower Volga districts. For this purpose an annual water volume of 25 cu kilometres is required. One of the projected attempts to secure the required water involves the making of vast impounding reservoirs in the Volga ; and as the Caspian Sea would gradually dry up in consequence of the removal of such immense quantum of water, it is intended to drain some large bays of that sea, in order to restrict evaporation. Other projects propose to solve the problem by means of canals between the Volga and the Arctic Sea. These canals would carry vast water volumes into the Volga, and at the same time the navigation depth in that river would also be increased. With all these projects great quantities of water power can be produced at the weirs and dams. So far, the power plants of the Dniepr and Swir rivers have been established at such places ; and at the proposed dams in the Volga several millions of horse power are to be utilised. In mountain districts and in the North, abundant in water, a large number of new power plants are being constructed. In 1934 Russia possessed completed water power plants of 1 million kilowatt. In carrying out these works, the methods of organisation are quite different from those in other countries, owing to the special structure of economic life. Taking individual examples, building organisation, methods of design, scientific preparations, laboratories, and inspections of works are described, and questions of technical administration, the training of special workers, and workers' achievements are treated of. The parts played by foreign advisers, and the machines which are more and more employed, are mentioned. Finally, as examples, the process of great works — the Dniepr and the White Sea canal — and in connection with these the execution of concrete works in winter are described in detail.