Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - IX. New plans for irrigation. Echmiadzin
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
198 ARMENIA AND THE NEAR EAST
must be under proper control to prevent it from stagnating
and turning the land sour, or evaporating and making the
soil salt.
It has been calculated that the west (right-hand) canal
should have a capacity of up to 1 1 cubic metres a second, and
the east canal a capacity up to 5-5 cubic metres. On the basis
of the measurements tåken up to now, careful caJculations
have been made of the flow of water in Lake Sevan, etc. The
figures show that, on an average, the Zanga carries more than
enough water to irrigate these large areas, and also those
lying at a lower level, besides supplying the present power
station at Erivan, which requires 10 cubic metres a second.
Further, the regulation of Lake Sevan will provide a very
large reserve of water which can be drawn upon at the driest
times of year if the river does not carry enough (cf. p. 188).
Moreover, the Zanga has far larger sources in its tributaries,
and in the event of more water being needed at some future
time dams can be made across the gorge to create new
reservoirs of water that can be let out as required. During
the greater part of the year the river will in any case have a
large surplus of water over and above what is needed for
irrigation and the existing power-station ; it is, therefore,
intended to utilize this surplus for a big new power-station to
be built at Erivan, whither the water can easily be brought in
a pipe from the projected east canal.
The whole plan impressed us favourably, and seemed well
thought out, though it had not yet been worked out in detail
with all the necessary measurements.
Returning through the valley we saw the remains of a
large bridge, which, we were told, legend ascribed to Cyrus ;
but as it was constructed of brick it could hardly have been
many centuries old.
Our cars were waiting for us in the cool shade of some big
trees in the village. We now drove through Erivan and
southward by the road on the east side of the Zanga Valley
in order to have a look at the dry country of South-east Kirr,
which stretches south towards the village of Aramzalu, and
also in a south-easterly direction. The entire dry area is
about 7,470 dessiatins (about 18,500 acres), of which 5,000
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
