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 | |
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Arpaçay Reservoir | |
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Location | Shirak Province-Kars Province |
Coordinates | 40°33′47.67″N 43°39′16.26″E |
Primary inflows | Akhuryan |
Primary outflows | Akhuryan |
Basin countries | Armenia Turkey |
Built | 1975–1980[1] |
First flooded | 1980[2] |
Max. length | 20 km (12 mi)[2] |
Surface area | 54 km2 (21 sq mi)[3] |
Max. depth | 59 m (194 ft) (the dam)[4] |
Water volume | 0.525 km3 (0.126 cu mi)[2][3] |
Surface elevation | 1,600 m (5,200 ft) |
Settlements | Aghin |
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]
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]
According to Armenian researchers, "the water system is polluted with heavy metals and different toxic materials."[2]
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Natural lakes |
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Artificial lakes | |
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