CHU RIVER BASIN, CHU RIVER BASIN, KYRGYZSTANKYRGYZSTAN

Key Organization/Contact Persons

Litvak Rafael G., Ph. D. Head of the Ground Water Modelling and Water

Economy Problems Laboratory,

Kyrgyz Research Institute of Irrigation.Rooms 224, 226a. Toktonalieva 4a. Bishkek 720055,

Kyrgyz Republic.

E-mail: Lit1@elcat.kg

Tel: (996 312) 541175 of, (996 312) 244901 app.,

Fax: (996 312) 541175

Chu river B

asing

Short Geographical characteristics

The location is defined by the following geographical coordinates: 73о24'16'' ~ 77°04'12'' East, and 41°45'10'' ~ 43°11'51'' North.

The basin's area, within the borders of the Kyrgyz Republic, is makes 22 km2.

The recorded population is 1 570 000 (as of 01.01.05), real population is much more.

The capital of the Kyrgyz Republic and the main industrial center Bishkek, is situated in the Chu Basin.

The average altitude of the catchment area is 2840 m.

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Fig. 3. Typical annual discharge regimes of the Chon - Kemin and Chu rivers (Chu – before Orto-Tokoy reservoir, Chon Kemin - before emptying to the Chu), daily values, 1987 y.

m3 /s

CHON-KEMIN CHU

Typical annual discharges of the Chon - Kemin and Chu rivers

The first flood relatively small and short-term is observed in April-May, as a result of snow melt and spring precipitations; the second flood, more powerful and longer, is observed during July-August, as a result of thawing of high-mountain snow and glaciers. After the confluence with Chon-Kemin, the average annual discharge of the Chu is about 53 m3/sec. The maximum flood discharge at the confluence is 350 m3/sec.

Typical inflow of the Chu river (upper part)

Typical view of the catchment

Short hydrogeology information

The Chu flat land can be classified into four hydro-geological zones : recharge zone, discharge zone, transit zone, and a zone of regional drain (Chu River). A schematic hydro-geological cross section of the Bishkek area is presented in the separate slide.

The groundwater flow is formed in foothills (recharge zone). In this Quaternary loose fragmental deposits a uniform aquifer is situated with a depth up to 300-500 m, containing water table from 40-50 m up to 150-200 m. South of BCC (Big Chu Canal) the recharge zone transforms into the discharge and transit zones. The border between recharge and discharge zone is characterized by the flow from well permeable rocks of foothill area, which enters into a number of aquifers divided by loamy layers. All aquifers (confined and unconfined) are hydraulically interconnected and form a single system. Ground water pressure surface (piezometric level) is established at height of 0,5 -15,0 m above the ground surface.

Typical cross section of the Chu River basin, zone of Bishkek city

Climate

Warm season in the Chu valley lasts for 170 days on the average;

Duration of the vegetative period is 220 - 230 days;

Average temperature of January is 7oС. The snow cover

preserves for 70 - 90 days.

Average evaporability in the Chu Valley is 1000 -1200 mm per year

and average amount of atmospheric precipitation is 270 - 400 mm.

Volume of precipitations increases along with increase of altitude

towards the Kyrgyz Ridge.

Climatic conditions of the area of interest are those, that crop

farming is impossible without irrigation. Rain fed agriculture is

impossible due to the climatic conditions in the region. About 68 %

of the total arable lands is irrigated.

Land resources Area, ha % of basin area Mountains, rocks 520170 24

Glaciers 39438 2

Forests 51500 2

Reservoirs, rivers 53820 2

Pastures 785600 36

Settlements, roads 98070 4

Irrigation areas 328900 16

Dry areas 129500 6

Perennial planting 65000 3

Hayings 43600 2

Farmlands 43400 2

Others 32002 1

Total 2191000 100

Land Resources distribution in the Chu River Basin

Soil surface and structures are been affected by

salinization, waterlogging and erosion. Out of

328,9 thousand ha of irrigated lands 52,1

thousand ha are in below satisfactory condition,

and 10,9 thousand ha of land are waterlogged,

30,0 thousand affected by salinization, and 10,3

thousand ha affected by both water logging and

salinization. 16 % of the irrigated land in the Chu

basin is not suitable for crop production.

Surface water resources in the basin is

estimated as 110 m3/sec (9500 thousand

m3/day). Approximately 34% of the total flow

contributed by Chu, Georgivskiyi and BChK

canals enters into the territory of Kazakhstan.

These inflows are used for irrigation.

Remaining flow volume is also used for

irrigation in Kyrgyzstan. 60% of the irrigated

water is lost through the infiltration and

contributes to groundwater.

Surface water resources of the Chu valley (without Cochkor Valleys)

Total for Kyrgyzstan

For Chu Oblast

Safe ground waters yield 6481.0 3580.0 (43 m3/s)

Summary ground water intake

2708.4 1179.1 (14 m3/s)

Use of ground waters, 2618.1 1131.6

Including: industrial 1364.6 603.4

drinking 406.8 328.4

irrigation 846.7 199.8

Water discharge without using

90.3 47.5

Reserves yields 13301.0 58.9

% of using 40 33

Number of deposits 44 13

Safe ground waters yield. Ground water intake and using (as of 01.01.2000), thous.m3/day

Fig. 6. Distribution of summary ground waters intake by using ways

Water discharge

without using4.0%

Irrigation16.9%

Drinking27.9%

Industrial 51.2%

Distribution of ground water use (Chu oblast)

N Name of reservoir Year of operationWater area,

км2

Capacity, million м3

1 Nijne - Alaarchinskoe (off-stream) 1964 6.25 52

2 Nijne - Alaarchinskoe (channel basin) 1989 3.30 80

3 Sokulukskoe 1968 1.80 9.30

4 Spartak 1975 5.90 22.00

5 Tuz 1977 0.91 2.26

6 Shorgo 1990 1.30 4.80

7 Moltovar 1982 0.75 2.20

8 Aksu 1982 1.45 6.00

9 Karabaltinskoe 1964 1.49 4.30

10 Risorob 2 1978 0.36 1.20

11 Mehanicheskoe 1963 0.42 1.20

12 Stavropolskoe 1980 0.42 1.59

13 Panfilovskoe 1 1964 0.57 1.47

14 Panfilovskoe 2 1964 0.57 1.47

15 Agermen 1986 0.34 1.50

16 Puchuk 1986 0.60 3.32

17 Kara-Tuma 1987 2.21 9.08

Total: 28.64 203.69

Chu Basin reservoirs with a reservoir capacity of more than 1.0 million м3

Some Environmental Characteristics

Quality of surface waters in the Chu Basin basically

meets to the irrigation water standards. However

pollution level in a number of rivers has been

increasing recently. For example, cupper content in

Chon-Kemin, Kichi-Kemin, Nooruz, Ala-Archa rivers in

2003 were 0.002 mg/l (exceeding of Maximum

Permissible Concentration 2 times). Phenols content in

2002 in Ak-Suu River was- 0.003 mg/l that exceeds MPC

3 times.

High quality groundwater are basically used for drinking watersupply. There are about 220 wells operated to supply water forBishkek city. In Chu basin more than 1000 water intake wellsHave been operated. In some of those wells excess ofMaximum permissible concentration of pollutants have beenobserved, for example:

1. In Ala-Archa ground water deposit, nitrate pollution - up to 2 MPC, and chrome pollution - up to 4 MPC were observed .

2. Nitrate pollution observed in Orto-Alysh ground waters deposit, sources are irrigated fields, livestock drainage, and settlements without sewer systems;

3. Central-Chu ground water deposits (Belovodskoye village). Chrome pollution - up to 4 MPC, oil products - up to 8 MPC, nitrates - up to 1,8 MPC.

4. Western-Chu ground water deposit (Kara-Balta town). Ground water mineralization is up to 4MPC, manganese - up to 40 MPC, molybdenum - up to 8 MPC.

Observation networks

There are 10 meteorological stations, 44 hydrological stations

(out of which 20 are closed now), about 200 observation wells

for monitoring piezometric levels and 1000 shallow

observation wells for monitoring of ground water tables in the

irrigated area of the Chu basin. Since middle of the 90s data

from shallow wells (managed by Department of water

economy) are not very reliable. Some observation wells of the

Kyrgyz Hydrogeology Survey are in operation for more than 50

years.

Hydrology and water resources management issues 

1. Infiltration loss of irrigation water is one of the main crop water management problems in the Chu basin. Losses in irrigation networks and fields are approximated to 60 - 65 % of water intake. If irrigation efficiency in the irrigation system increased for up to 60% most of the ecological and economic problems of the basin will be solved.

2. Massive reduction in the monitoring of surface and groundwater system after the collapse of the USSR. The minimum monitoring with required frequencies of surface and groundwater must be maintained.

3. Available irrigation network has been established for large water-users (collective and state farms). Sharp increase of small land holdings complicated water sharing between consumers. Former intra-farm irrigation systems are becoming inter-farm ones, at the same time, the greater part of water distributors is not equipped with regulators and water meters.

4. In dry years shortages of water resources frequently marked. Water shortage aggravates interstate sharing of the Chu basin water resources.

Environmental Problems1. Management of groundwater and flood control remains one of the

critical issues in both urban and rural areas of the Chu Valley. In 2004 about 100 settlements were flooded and more than 200 residential houses were destroyed. The problem aggravated because of unregulated establishment of farm lands and collapse of large agricultural enterprises. One of the reasons of such state of emergency is use of excess irrigational norms. In most of the cases field irrigation is carried out without modern technologies with more watering than required for each crop. Such state of affairs lead to salinity and water logging.

2. More than 85% of the houses hold in the Chu basin are not connected with centralized sewage system. Even in the Bishkek city 25% of the households are not connected to centralized sewage system. Sewages are often thrown down in to usual holes, without any treatment. Which leads to nitrate pollution in large settlements. Water from wells with less than 80 m deep sometimes does not satisfy often to drinking standards (nitrate content is more than 40 mg/l). Mainly drinking water is extracted from 110 - 200 m deep wells.

3. The considerable part of the industrial unit of Chu valley is located in the zone of high vulnerability of ground water. In this connection the risk of the ground water pollution is very high.

Livelihoods issues

 

Water problems in the Chu Basin are closely

connected with the poverty in the region. For example,

frequent flooding deprives agricultural activities and

storages of productions for winter. It causes economic

damage to the basin. Particularly poor families are hardest

hit by flooding.

Water logging in wide area have led to breeding of

mosquitoes and subsequently to malaria outbreak, which

was not seen previously for several decades in the basin.

Tuberculosis cases are also reappearing.

Why Chu River Basin shall be included in one of the G-WADI pilot basin programme

a) The Chu Basin is typical intermountain basin of the Central Asia with an arid climate. Results of researches received in the Chu Valley, can be successfully extended for the other intermountain basins of arid zone.b) In the Chu basin there are 10 state meteorological stations, 24 hydrological stations, more than 1200 observation wells, about one thousand water-supply wells and many other hydro-economic infrastructures. Necessary information on water resources, their variability and ecological situation have been collected and recorded. Inclusion of the Chu basin in the G-WADI proposed pilot basin programme would provide possibilities of data exchange and joint studies.с) Researchers of the proposal have a considerable experience in developing hydro-geological models for water resources management and monitoring of the Chu basin.

Expected outcome of the pilot basin programme as follows:

1. Scientific monitoring of surface and ground waters in the Chu basin (Kyrgyzstan). The improved monitoring system shall provide necessary information to trace surface and groundwater patterns with the minimum cost and based on the ground realities of the Kyrgyzstan.

2. Forecasting and developing early warning system to help population centers and irrigated land from extreme rising of groundwater tables. The system will be develop for the Chu basin based on monitoring and hydrogeological and water-balance models, within the framework of the pilot basin project

3. Exchange of hydrological, hydrogeological and hydro-economic information among scientists and experts with various institutes and with other G-WADI pilot basin project.

4. Development of hydrogeological and water-balance models in the context of typical mountain basins of Central Asia.

Within the framework of the G-WADI project proposal, following activities will be undertaken in the Chu-basin, which will contribute to G-WADI objectives:

a) Establishment of scientifically based methodologies for surface and groundwater monitoring in Chu basin with particular emphasis of mountain geography;

b) Determination of rational irrigation norms and irrigation schedules based on crop water requirement and based on meteorological data obtained from automated stations;

c) Development of decision support system based on hydrological, hydro-geological, economic and information-analytical system;

d) Awareness raising and capacity building by organizing trainings, workshops and seminars

e) Development of Decision Support System (DSS) for water resources management

Name and address of the Nodal Agency 

Department of the Water Economy, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Economy,Toktonalieva 4a. Bishkek 720055, Kyrgyz

Republic

General Director - Koshmatov B. TOffice tel: (996 312) 549073, Fax: (996 312) 549074

Project supporting partners:

Department of the Water Economy, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Economy;

Kyrgyz Hydrogeology Survey;

Hydrology Division of the Hydrometeorology Survey of Kyrgyz Republic;

Water Consumption Division, Chu Water Economy Department;

Institute of Water Problems and Hydropower of the Academy of Science;

Kyrgyz Water-Economy Technical Design Institute “Kyrgyzsuudolboor”.

Central Asia Institute of the Earth Applied Research.