Akhurian Reservoir

Akhurian Reservoir (Armenian: Ախուրյանի ջրամբար; Turkish: Arpaçay Baraj Gölü) is a reservoir on the Akhurian River between Armenia and Turkey.[2][3] The reservoir has a surface area of 54 km² and a volume of 525 million cubic meters.[2][3] It is one of the largest reservoirs in the Caucasus, smaller than the Mingachevir reservoir and the Shamkir reservoir in Azerbaijan.

Akhurian Reservoir
Arpaçay Reservoir
Location of the reservoir in Armenia.
Location of the reservoir in Armenia.
Akhurian Reservoir
Location of the reservoir in Armenia.
Location of the reservoir in Armenia.
Akhurian Reservoir
Location of the reservoir in Armenia.
Location of the reservoir in Armenia.
Akhurian Reservoir
LocationShirak Province-Kars Province
Coordinates40°33′47.67″N 43°39′16.26″E
Primary inflowsAkhuryan
Primary outflowsAkhuryan
Basin countriesArmenia
Turkey
Built1975–1980[1]
First flooded1980[2]
Max. length20 km (12 mi)[2]
Surface area54 km2 (21 sq mi)[3]
Max. depth59 m (194 ft) (the dam)[4]
Water volume0.525 km3 (0.126 cu mi)[2][3]
Surface elevation1,600 m (5,200 ft)
SettlementsAghin

Its water is used for irrigation in Armenia's Aragatsotn, Armavir and Shirak provinces.[3] Water used on Turkey for irrigation (70000 ha agricultural area) in provinces of Kars and Ardahan.[5]

Foundation

On April 25, 1963, Turkey and the Soviet Union (which Armenia was part of at the time) signed an agreement on constructing a dam on Akhurian River and regulating the flow of four rivers into the reservoir.[2][6] It was built between 1975 and 1980[1] and began to be operated in 1980.[2]

Pollution

According to Armenian researchers, "the water system is polluted with heavy metals and different toxic materials."[2]

References
  1. "Agro.am" Շիրակի մարզի ջրային ռեսուրսների գյուղատնտեսական արդյունավետ օգտագործումը բերքատվության բարձրացման նպատակով (in Armenian). AgroWeb Armenia. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  2. Soghoian, Yeranuhi (8 May 2009). "Pollution in Border Reservoir Worries Armenia". Institute for War & Peace Reporting. Archived from the original on 13 July 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  3. Հայաստանի Հանրապետության Ֆիզիկաաշխարհագրական օբյեկտների համառոտ տեղեկատու-բառարան [Dictionary of Physical-Geographic Objects in the Republic of Armenia] (PDF) (in Armenian). State Committee of the Real Estate Cadastre. 2007. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-05-17. Retrieved 2013-08-01.
  4. "ARPAÇAY BARAJI" (in Turkish). Devlet Su İşleri Genel Müdürlüğü. Archived from the original on 15 May 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  5. "DSİ". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
  6. Sedat Laçiner; Mehmet Özcan; İhsan Bal (2010). USAK Yearbook of International Politics and Law 2010, Vol. 3. USAK Books. p. 232. ISBN 9786054030262.
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