Article is devoted to questions of water supply of the Crimea, the attention in particular is paid to problems and prospects of reconstruction of the North Crimean channel.
Taurida insufficient water security it was recognized after a severe drought (1833) and the hunger which has come behind it. It was necessary to look for new sources of water resources. In 1846 the former director of the Nikitsky botanical garden, scientist-botanist Christiaan Khristianovich Steven suggested to use for the first time waters of Dnepr in a steppe part of the peninsula by channel construction. However necessary for implementation of this project of 40 million rubles weren’t allocated. The second project on a transfer of dneprovsky waters to Taurida was offered by the chief of Bottom Dneprovskikh of researches V. V. Chikovym, but revolutionary shocks and civil war crossed out also this project.
The problem of providing the Crimea was solved by fresh water only from the beginning of construction and commissioning of the North Crimean channel. Value for social and economic life of the Crimea is difficult for estimating it. If to compare the period before construction of the North Crimean channel with 1990, it is possible to see that productivity of the grain increased in 3,4 times, winter wheat – in 3,3, fodder root crops – in 6,5, corn by a silo – in 5 times, production of milk – in 4, and the monetary income increased more, than in 10 times.
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Only thanks to North Crimean channel in the Crimea the new branch – a risoseyaniye was created. From each hectare in checks today namolachivayut more than 60 centners of fig. As a whole gross production of agricultural production increased in 4-5 times, the profit of farms and welfare of agricultural producers respectively increased.
The North Crimean channel which has given a powerful impulse to development of agricultural production, solved also centuries-old problem of water supply of the cities of Feodosiya, Kerch, Sevastopol, Simferopol and other settlements of the Crimea.
The current technical state of buildings and constructions, and also courses of the channel leave much to be desired. Insufficient financing and, in this regard, absence of continuous control of a technical condition of SKK, lead untimely maintenance to destruction of separate sites of the channel and emergence of the emergency situation connected with flooding of extensive territories, destruction of structures. It is necessary urgent technical inspection of the channel and by its results – SKK reconstruction.
In recent years the government of the Crimea and its subordinated structures take cardinal measures for restoration of irrigated agriculture and increase of productivity of crops that gives the chance to provide equation of processes of use and renewal of water resources, to reduce negative consequences of harmful effects of waters, to improve security with water resources, including qualitative drinking water, to reduce dumping of the polluted drains in water sources.
In the decision of some above the listed tasks also our center actively takes part in cooperation with leading research institute of hydraulic engineering and land improvement of the Ukrainian academy of agrarian sciences. In recent years the combined beregozashchitny antifiltrational coverings from concrete and betonopolimerny blocks are developed and put on an industrial stream. A length of life of such coverings – 100 years. They can be used as on existing sprinklers where facing, and on new earth channels under construction became unfit for use.
On those sites of the channel where facing in a satisfactory condition, but temperature seams are damaged, it is possible to offer polymeric and composite materials for their repair. For restoration of the intraeconomic metal pipelines which have become unfit for use because of their physical aging, the technology of repair without their dismantle is offered, former capacity thus remains and trouble-free operation for 50 years is provided.
The new adapted modes of an irrigation and modern ways of watering of the crops are developed, allowing to reduce irrigating norms that will well affect environment, expenses of the electric power and will allow to water at the same volumes of water submitted to the Crimea the big areas. There will be a possibility almost completely to irrigate the most economic cultures: fruit, berry, vegetable, efironosny, fodder etc. that will make these branches not only more fruitful, but also more independent of weather conditions.
In our opinion, for irrigation development in the Crimea in the developed social and economic conditions such directions are perspective:
- an intensification of use of an existing intereconomic, intraeconomic network, their reconstruction and restoration;
- development of a drop irrigation;
- restoration and expansion of a "small" irrigation;
- adaptation of new dozhdevalny equipment to an existing irrigating network.
E.Seytumerov, scientific secretary of IGIM UAAN.