North Crimean Canal

North Crimean Canal
Water intake structure at the start of the canal at Tavriisk, 800 m from the Kakhovka reservoir
Map of the canal
Specifications
Length402.6 km (250.2 miles)
History
Former namesNorth Crimean Canal of the Komsomol of Ukraine
Current owner
Original ownerSoviet government
Principal engineerUkrvodbud
Other engineer(s)Ukrdiprovodbud
Date of actSeptember 21, 1950 (1950-09-21)
Construction began1957
Date completed1976
Geography
Start pointTavriisk, Ukraine
End pointKerch city water treatment facilities
Beginning coordinates46°45′55″N 33°23′40″E / 46.76528°N 33.39444°E / 46.76528; 33.39444
Ending coordinates45°20′38″N 36°00′36″E / 45.34389°N 36.01000°E / 45.34389; 36.01000
Branch(es)Krasnoznamiansky Canal
Soyedenitelny Canal
Connects toDnieper River
Map

The North Crimean Canal,[a] formerly known as the North Crimean Canal of the Lenin's Komsomol of Ukraine[b] in Soviet times, is a land improvement canal for irrigation and watering of Kherson Oblast in southern Ukraine and the Crimean Peninsula. The canal has multiple branches throughout Kherson Oblast and Crimea, and is normally active from March until December.[1]

Preparation for construction began in 1957, soon after the transfer of Crimea to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1954. The main project works took place in three stages between 1961 and 1971. The construction was conducted by the Komsomol members sent by the Komsomol travel ticket (Komsomolskaya putyovka) as part of shock construction projects and accounted for some 10,000 volunteer workers.

Ukraine shut down the canal in 2014 soon after Russia annexed Crimea. Russia restored the flow of water in March 2022 during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

A 2015 study found that the canal had been providing 85% of Crimea's water prior to the 2014 shutdown. Of the water from the canal, 72% went to agriculture and 10% to industry, while water for drinking and other public uses made up 18%.[2]


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

  1. ^ "North Crimea Canal, A History of its Construction". Euromaidan Press. 2014-05-24. Retrieved 2023-06-23.
  2. ^ "North Crimean Canal Fills With Water After Russian Forces Destroyed Dam". The Moscow Times. 4 March 2022. Archived from the original on 18 May 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2022.