Volga Caspian Canal letter diagram. “Volga-Caspian Sea Shipping Canal” (research project). River of Unfulfilled Hopes

Volga-Caspian Sea Shipping Canal (VKMSK)
Location
A country	Russia
Region	Astrakhan region
Characteristic
Length	188 km
Maximum depth	6.1 m
Watercourse
Entrance	Bakhtemir (river)
Estuary	Caspian Sea

Coordinates: 45°50′ N. w. 47°45′ E. d. / 45.833333° N. w. 47.75° E. d.(G) (O)45.833333 , 47.75 Volga-Caspian Shipping Canal (VKK listen)) - a canal connecting the deep-water section of the Bakhtemir River (one of the branches in the Volga delta) and the deep-water part of the Caspian Sea through the shallow part of the Volga delta. Allows sea vessels to enter the ports of Olya (Bakhtemir River) and Astrakhan (Volga River).

History of construction

In the middle of the 19th century, a significant increase in the tonnage of the merchant fleet and the volume of sea cargo transportation began all over the world and in Russia. In this regard, there was a need to build a canal connecting inland Russian ports with the ports of the Caspian Sea. Initially, two directions of the future road to the sea were considered: Kamyzyakskoye and Bakhtemirskoye. In 1874, the Bakhtemir branch was approved as the most suitable for maritime navigation. This year is considered the year of birth of the VKK. In the same year, construction of the canal began, the first stage of which lasted 17 years. At the same time, up to 60 thousand cubic meters of bottom soil were extracted from the Bakhtemir branch annually. Along the way, from Astrakhan to the very seaside, this waterway was furnished with navigational milestones. In 1891, cargo turnover through the Astrakhan port increased to 146 million pounds (a third of all cargo transported through the Suez Canal).

In 1914, the dimensions of the VKK were:

depth - 3.6 m
width - 128 m
length - 33.2 km

In the 30-40s of the 20th century, due to the drop in the level of the Caspian Sea, dredging volumes increased to 10 million cubic meters per year. During the Great Patriotic War, the VKK was the only uninterrupted “bridge” connecting the oil-bearing regions of Transcaucasia with the European part of the country. Despite the constant air raids of German aviation, fuel and lubricants, food, equipment and weapons were promptly supplied to the front and rear. In the first decade of war, when the level of the Caspian Sea was continuously decreasing, the volume of excavated soil increased annually.

In 1955, the dimensions of the VKK were:

depth - 3.6 m
width - 120 m
length - 168 km

In 1970, cargo turnover reached 20 million tons per year.

In the early 90s of the 20th century, with the collapse of economic ties within the country, the volume of cargo transportation along the Volga-Caspian Sea and, accordingly, the volume of dredging work decreased sharply. In 1995, the canal came under the jurisdiction of the Maritime Administration of the Port (MAP) of Astrakhan. At this time, with the stabilization of the level of the Caspian Sea, the volume of cargo transportation and, as a result, dredging work are resumed and gradually increased, reaching 1.8 million cubic meters in 1997.

Since 1998, merchant shipping in the basin has been actively developing. Russia and the Caspian countries have joined the international North-South transport corridor, which allows for an annual increase in cargo turnover through the ports of Astrakhan and Olya: from 0.97 million tons in 1998 to 4.7 million tons in 2004. With the growth of maritime trade, the volume of dredging work has also increased significantly: in 2003 it amounted to 2.54 million cubic meters. In 2003, the Volga-Caspian Canal was transferred to the management of the FSUE Rosmorport branch in Astrakhan.

Today, the dimensions of the canal ensure the safe movement of ships with a draft of 4.5 meters to Astrakhan and 4.7 meters to the port of Olya. Water-gauge posts have been created, navigation aids are being modernized, GMSS facilities of sea areas A-1 and A-2, navigation, communication and vessel traffic control systems (NAVTEX and GLONAS) are being put into operation. Two powerful icebreakers provide winter support for ships. All this made it possible to increase the level of safety of navigation through the canal and the Caspian Sea.

Over the 130-year history of the development of the Bakhtemir shipping fairway, a grandiose structure was created - one of the largest sea canals, which has no analogues in the world practice of regulating sea estuaries - the Volga-Caspian Shipping Canal (VKSK). It represents the realized idea of creating a single deep-water highway connecting the waterways of the river basin. Volga and Caspian Sea. From the surviving archival materials, it is obvious that long before 1874, attempts were made to create a shipping route from the mouth of the Volga to the Caspian Sea. The Ministry of Railways formed a special commission of engineers who carried out comprehensive studies at the mouth of the river. Volga in 1870-1873.

creation of a shipping canal

canal clearing work

sea level fluctuations

new technologies

1. Bukharitsin P.I., Armansky A.G. Modern characteristics and main directions of reconstruction of the Volga-Caspian shipping canal // Materials of the First International Scientific and Practical Conference “Problems of preserving the Caspian ecosystem in the conditions of development of oil and gas fields” (February 16-18, 2005, Astrakhan). – Astrakhan, 2005. – pp. 16–18.

2. Bukharitsin P.I., Armansky A.G. Modern hydrological and geomorphological processes in the Volga-Caspian Canal // Materials of the International Scientific and Practical Conference “Reclamation of small watercourses, spawning grounds of the river delta. Volga and the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain." – Astrakhan, 2007. – pp. 277–280.

3. Rusanov N.V., P.I. Bukharitsin, A.G., Bezzubikov L.G. Recommendations for changing technology and choosing technical means for dredging on the Volga-Caspian Sea Shipping Canal // Modern problems of geology, geophysics and geoecology of the North Caucasus. Volume IV. Collective monograph edited by: Doctor of Physics and Mathematics. Sc., Professor Kerimov I.A. Doctor of Geography, Professor Shirokova V.A. Grozny, Academy of Sciences of the Chechen Republic, 2015. – P. 250–255.

Brief description of the main ways of reconstruction of the Volga-Caspian sea shipping canal. Such famous Russian hydraulic engineers as N.A. were directly involved in the selection, research and arrangement of the route of the Volga-Caspian shipping canal (also called the Main Bank). Boguslavsky, M.N. Gersevanov, V. Lestushevsky, V.E. Timonov and others. In the period from 1845 to 1874. surveys and trial excavations were carried out only in the Kamyzyak direction. However, the large drift of experimental slots (up to 50%) forced us to take the only correct decision and begin dredging work on the Bakhtemir fairway, which since 1818 has been used by transit ships to exit the mouth of the river. Volga into the Caspian Sea.

The submission of the VI Kazan District to the Technical Inspection Committee of Highway and Water Transport of the Ministry of Railways dated August 1, 1874 states: “The Department of Highway and Water Transport on April 11 of this year, No. 2091, reported that the Minister of Railways ordered experimental work to deepen the Rakushinskaya placer on the Bakhtemir branch of the river. Volga..."

As a result of the work undertaken to deepen the Bakhtemir Passage, completed in 1881, the fairway between the mouth coastal area and Astrakhan was deepened to 8 feet. The result achieved, thanks to the work done, turned out to be so serious that after this it became possible to abolish shallow-draft barges for transporting passengers and transport the latter on special steamships with a draft of 3.5 feet. In 1874, regular track work began in the Bakhtemir direction. This year is considered the year of the founding of the Volga-Caspian Canal.

Throughout its entire length from Astrakhan to the sea, the shipping passage passes through a natural watercourse - the Bakhtemir, and in the sea part - through an artificially created canal. The Volga-Caspian shipping canal has its beginning “O” km, 20 km below Astrakhan, at the source of the Bertul channel.

In subsequent years, the trade turnover of the Astrakhan port grows extremely rapidly. In 1873 it did not exceed 4 million rubles, in 1880 it was already 40 million rubles, and by the beginning of the 90s it reached 96 million rubles. In 1891, cargo turnover amounted to 146,000,000 poods, i.e. approximately a third of the cargo then transported through the Suez Canal.

By the beginning of the First World War, the depth of the canal had reached 3.6 m, with a length of the artificial navigation slot of 33.2 km. Since 1929, a catastrophic decline in the level of the Caspian Sea began. Within 10 years it dropped by 2 m, and after 40 years by another 1 m. This required large-scale dredging work.

With the development of the national economy of the USSR, cargo turnover also grew, especially affecting the transportation of petroleum products. During the Great Patriotic War, the strategic importance of the canal increased even more. Navigation was extended through the winter months. In 1941-1955. the depth in the canal was maintained to 3.6 m, the width was 100-120 m, the total length of the canal was increased to 168 km.

From 1955 to 1970 a period of relative stabilization of the Caspian level began at minus 28.50 m B.S.. These years saw the modernization of the transport fleet. New vessels of the Oleg Koshevoy type appeared, with a carrying capacity of 5000 tons, a draft of up to 4.2 m and a length of 123.5 m. The volume of dredging work increased to 10 million m3 of annually extracted soil. By the beginning of the 70s, the reconstruction of the canal was completed. Design dimensions were established for the canal: passage depth in the river part is 4.9 m, in the sea part - 5.1 m, width 100-120 m, total length 188 km.

By 1977, the sea level dropped to the lowest level for the entire period of instrumental observations - minus 29.00 m B.S. This required deepening the canal by 0.5-0.7 m and increasing its total length to 207 km.

Since 1978, an intensive rise in the level of the Caspian Sea began. By 1996 it increased to minus 26.5 m B.s., i.e. by almost 2.5 m. The length of the exploited canal was reduced, the volume of dredging fell to 3-4 million m3 per year, and from 1992 to 1994 they were practically not carried out.

In subsequent years, there was some stabilization of sea level at levels close to minus 27.00 m B.S., and then a new period of sea level decline began, which continues to the present day.

In 1995, the volume of dredging work on the canal was 0.8 million m³, in 1996 - 1.7 million m³, in 1998 - 1.8 million m3.

To date, the cargo and ship traffic of the canal has decreased significantly. In the 70-80s, the turnover of river-sea vessels in the canal reached 3000 units per year, small vessels - up to 15 thousand units, and the cargo turnover ranged from 15 to 20 million tons per year. In the nineties, the turnover of large ships fell to an average of 200-300 units per year, and the annual cargo turnover did not reach even a million tons, which is almost three times less than 100 years ago.

From the first steps of the construction of the Volga-Caspian Canal, the need arose to combat the drift of the slots by sea and river sediments. This problem was solved using traditional methods: annual repair dredging and fencing the canal with dams.

The changed natural conditions for the formation of the Volga delta, as well as the construction of a new commercial port in the area of the village. Olya, and the planned increase in transit sea cargo transportation posed the need to revise the existing dimensions of the Volga-Caspian Canal and its radical reconstruction.

In 2015, the dredging fleet of the Astrakhan region was replenished with a dredger. The Astrakhan branch of Rosmorport acquired the Urengoy self-transporting dredger. According to the press service of the enterprise, the vessel was previously operated by the Azov Basin Branch in the waters of the seaports of Kavkaz and Temryuk (picture). Today, the dredging fleet of the Astrakhan branch of Rosmorport operates two dredgers “Ivan Cheremisinov” and “Artemy Volynsky”. They provide the necessary depth for the passage of ships on the Volga-Caspian Sea Shipping Canal and in the waters of the seaports of Astrakhan and Olya. Let us remind you that this year, due to record low water levels, the volume of dredging work at VKMSK has been increased more than three times. In 2015, to maintain navigation depths on the shipping canal, the branch needs to lift 5.3 million m3 of soil from the bottom of the Volga and Caspian Sea.

Self-transporting dredger "Urengoy". Source: news - Astrakhan - Caspian news

Among the many issues that need to be considered when reconstructing a canal, the main ones are:

1. Analysis of the compliance of the dimensions of the shipping channel with modern hydrological and morphological conditions in the Bakhtemir riverbed;

2. Justification of the optimal dimensions of the Volga-Caspian Canal;

3. Analysis of the reasons for the drift of certain sections of the branch and channel;

4. Development of measures to reduce drift in the canal and reduce the volume of repair dredging work.

Modern hydrological and geomorphological processes in the Volga-Caspian shipping canal. Currently, the total length of the Volga-Caspian Canal (VCC) from the administrative beginning of the village. Bertul is 188 km long with an average width of 120 m, approximately more than half the length of the canal is laid on open seaside. Transit depths along the Volga-Caspian Canal route are more than 5 m.

Previously carried out systematic annual dredging in a volume of 2.5 to 3.0 million m3 made it possible to create such navigation conditions under which the depths practically did not limit navigation.

The Bakhtemir and VKSK branch serves as a continuation of the Volga channel within the delta and, therefore, can be considered as the main branch of the delta. Meanwhile, the structure of the channel network of the Bakhtemir branch is quite simple. In terms of the size of its area, it occupies the last place among the systems of other main branches throughout the Volga delta.

The Bakhtemir branch, through a system of small right-hand streams, feeds the Western substeppe ilmens with Volga water. A number of channels branch off to the left of the main channel of the Bakhtemir, including those feeding the adjacent system of the Staraya Volga branch.

The existing direct connection and interdependence between the main navigable branch of the river. The Volga, which is Bakhtemir and many small rivers, prorans included in the branched delta, became the main topic during the complex of research work that was carried out during the development of technical and economic proposals for the reconstruction of the Volga-Caspian Canal.

A study of the distribution of water flow along the side branches of the Bakhtemir branch showed that the watercourses leaving the Bakhtemir branch and feeding the Western substeppe ilmens are low-power and for the most part tend to die off. This is due to the fact that in the western part of the Bakhtemir system there is no hydraulic opportunity for the development of watercourses.

In modern conditions, after the Caspian Sea level has risen by more than two meters since 1978, the drift of the canal in the area of 78-148 km is practically of purely marine origin, especially after 110 km.

Over the past decades, intensive sediment deposition has occurred in the western and eastern veins and channels in the Main Bank area. This led to their siltation, a decrease in water flow through them, and a deterioration in the oxygen regime. As a result, unfavorable conditions for feeding and wintering of fish are created behind the edges of the canal, the entry of commercial fish is noticeably reduced, the concentration of fish in the industrial area is reduced, and the efficiency of fishing is sharply reduced.

Particularly noteworthy is the influence of the holes in the refuler dumps on the western edge at 138-139 km and the eastern edge at 139-141 km on the natural conditions of the Volga-Caspian Canal.

Maintenance dredging work in these areas is carried out annually.

As a rule, a drop in depth in this area is observed after storms in the spring and autumn periods. Already in early spring, due to the small size of the shipping channel in this area, it is necessary to begin dredging work. The half-flooded western landfills make it difficult to organize a dump of refilled soil and significantly complicate dredging operations, reducing their effectiveness due to the secondary ingress of soil back into the canal slot.

In the past, before the sea level rose, the 139-141 km section was a pre-bar area, which was characterized by runoff water currents that provided a flushing regime. Previously reclaimed refill dumps were completely covered with wood and reed vegetation and had fairly high elevations above the water horizon. The holes in the landfills were narrow and deep and looked like branching channels.

With a rise in sea level of more than 2 m, the bar moved from 151 km to the area of the Artificial Island (117 km). In the area of 139-141 km, there are now practically no runoff currents observed, and river sediments are not carried here. Refill dumps along the edges of the canal were flooded.

The holes between the landfills have expanded to a kilometer wide in some places. Due to their destruction, new holes began to form in the body of existing landfills. The built canals - fish passages, once in the sea part, after the drop in sea level, lost their significance.

The hydrographic situation of the area under consideration is characterized by the fact that, in general, it is, as it were, fenced off from the sea area by flooded refill dumps. At the same time, there are two large openings in this area: on the western edge with a kilometer length from 138 to 139 km; on the eastern edge, more than a kilometer long, from 139 to 140.4 km with maximum depths of up to 3 m. Through these holes, during storms, the main volume of sediment enters the channel from the edge spaces. This area is especially susceptible to drift when the water recedes after large surges. Then, through the western hole, water masses rush into the canal and through it into the eastern hole located below. This flow has high speeds. At 139 km in the canal, under its influence, a hole with depths of up to 11 meters was even washed out.

Naturally, when the water declines after such surges, the surface, lighter waters rush from the western channel to the eastern, and the bottom, most turbid waters - into the canal trough, which plays the role of a kind of collector for discharging them into the sea. Here, at 139-141 km, sediment deposition occurs in these cases: sandy at the beginning of the section, silty and silty below. To be able to analyze the deformation of the canal bed bed over the past 40 years, data from depth measurements from 1963 to 2001 were used.

It should be noted that depth measurements in 2001 were carried out along the axis of the canal's navigation using modern measuring equipment, including:

Electronic echo sounder;

Satellite positioning system (GPS);

Hardware and software complex.

The use of modern equipment and methods for performing hydrographic work indicates great reliability and quality of the work performed. The results of this measurement showed that recently there has been a smoothing of the bottom topography, this is especially noticeable in sections 109-133 km of the canal. The channel bottom was eroded in places up to 5 meters, and from 112 km its intensive drift began.

Delta river The Volga is a unique natural complex with high productivity of natural communities. Valuable fish species live and breed here: sturgeon, roach, bream, pike perch, catfish, carp, etc. In the delta of the river. On the Volga River within the Astrakhan region, about 50.0 thousand tons of commercial fish species are caught, including about 1.0 thousand tons of sturgeon (according to official statistics).

The Volga delta, replete with small channels and ilmen, is a spawning area for small fish species. At the same time, this area is a migration route for spawners and juveniles of sturgeon, white fish and semi-anadromous fish. In the system of watercourses of the river delta. The Main Bank of the Volga, being the most aquiferous branch, is of exceptionally important fishery importance. Along its channel, spawning and autumn migrations of anadromous and semi-anadromous fish from the sea to the river take place and the return migration of adult and juvenile fish to the sea takes place.

In recent years, intensive sediment deposition has been observed in the veins and channels of the Main Bank, connecting it with the adjacent water area of the delta front. This leads to a decrease in water flow through them and a deterioration in the oxygen regime. As a result, unfavorable conditions for feeding and wintering of fish are created behind the edges of the VKK, the entry of commercial fish species into the seas is noticeably reduced, the concentration of fish in the fishing zone is reduced, and the efficiency of fishing is sharply reduced.

In order to improve the conditions for feeding fish on the ridges, it is necessary to annually carry out ongoing fishery reclamation, clear and deepen the veins and channels of the Main Bank. Carrying out these works will increase the flow of water supplied to the streams, improve the living conditions of all species of fish and create an attractive water flow favorable for fish entering the fishing zone. All work on clearing veins must be carried out using grab floating cranes or refuler dredgers with a capacity of up to 250 m3/hour.

Reclamation work should be carried out only in those areas of holes and veins where, as a result of intense drift, limiting conditions for the flow of river water have formed. When dredging, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of maximizing the use of actual depths and clearing, taking into account the natural deformations of veins and holes. The width of the dredging slot of fish passages and holes must be made within 30 m. The dredging depth from the low-water horizon should be 2.5 m, taking into account a drift margin of up to 0.7 m. These dimensions meet the optimal hydrological requirements of riverbed processes for small watercourses.

In this work, it is not possible to give economic indicators of the effectiveness of these works, but they will undoubtedly help improve the hydrological regime of the water area adjacent to the Volga-Caspian Canal and increase the food supply of fish.

Recommendations for changing technology and selecting technical means for dredging work on the Volga-Caspian Sea Shipping Canal. In September 2014, the Volga-Caspian Sea Shipping Canal celebrated its 140th anniversary. All these years, despite the efforts of scientists and specialists, the main problem in maintaining the dimensions of the canal to meet modern requirements dictated by life was the fight against its drift. The fact is that R. The Volga, regardless of human will, annually carries 8-10 million tons of suspended particles into the Caspian Sea, and deposits them in various parts of the delta, causing horizontal and vertical deformations of the channels of numerous branches of the delta. These processes are especially noticeable in the Bakhtemir branch, the main feeding watercourse of the VKMSK, in its river and sea sections.

According to scientists and specialists, about 2,900 thousand tons of suspended sediment are carried into the sea through the Bakhtemir sleeve. 1500-1600 thousand tons of them are carried directly through the sea part of the VKMSK. At the same time, with the existing technical means and technology for maintaining the passport dimensions of the VKMSK, it is necessary, according to calculations of science and practice, to remove the VKMSK from the bed (the base in the sea part) at least 3500-4000 thousand m³ of soil. These figures indicate that the problem of the introduction of VKMSC is quite complex and requires a phased and comprehensive solution.

Despite the enormous and complex research and design work carried out over the years by the best specialists of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow State University, SoyuzmorNIIproekt, etc., to find ways to reduce the introduction of VKMSK, incl. through the creation of barrier dams, a reliable and effective solution has not yet been found. This is due, first of all, to the extreme complexity of the processes occurring at the junction of the river and the sea. These difficult-to-predict processes continuously change their parameters depending on the water content of the river. Volga (flood, low water); on the direction and strength of the winds causing surge phenomena with their strong bottom currents; on the power and direction of movement of ice fields, playing the role of powerful bulldozers; redistribution of water flow along branches and fish passage channels and, of course, due to volumetric fluctuations in the level of the Caspian Sea and the associated movement of the bar part of the Volga delta along the canal axis for tens of kilometers, and many other natural factors.

The most significant factor that has a decisive influence on the degree of introduction of VKMSK, both under the influence of the natural processes described above (including simultaneous), and from the creation of artificial underwater soil dumps at short distances from the channel during dredging, is the peculiarity of the geological lithological structure of the soil in these sections of the canal and border spaces. The mostly gray silts lying on the bottom surface, sandy in places, are easily moved under the influence of the above processes. The channel bed, in this situation, plays the role of a “collector”, where the deposition of these suspensions occurs.

The intensity of the channel's drift, which occurs under the influence of these factors, and is only temporarily reduced as a result of human activity through repeated forced movement of sediment as it moves towards the sea and compaction, far exceeds the intensity of its drift only under the influence of river flow. The fight against this so-called “returnable introduction” is essentially “Sisyphean labor”, since the total length of the VKMSK is about 200 km, incl. its sea part is about 40 km, and by the time dredging work in the canal reaches its sea edge, the upper and middle parts of the canal will again require clearing.

On the other hand, local loose soils turned out to be unsuitable for creating protective dams, which would reduce the introduction of VKMSK, and, accordingly, the volume of dredging work. Field studies have shown that even dams created at shallow edge depths from local materials without serious fastenings quickly collapse. At depths of more than 2.0-2.5 m, the creation of such dams, taking into account the impact of surge phenomena and ice movements on them, is very problematic, since the dam’s violation of the established natural balance of delta currents, established fish routes, etc. will cause serious consequences. harm to the biosphere. The use of other imported materials and structures necessary for fastening protective dams greatly increases the cost of construction and maintenance of dams, and does not guarantee the final result - their effective operation, due to insufficient knowledge of sedimentation processes under constantly changing hydrological conditions.

Thus, analyzing the current state of affairs, and the assessments and developments outlined above, we argue that a real measure to reduce the introduction of VKMSK is the refusal to use underwater soil dumps, or their limited use only in remote areas of the sea, excluding the return introduction of VKMSK. Life has shown that, despite a number of measures taken, including at the level of the Russian government, the condition of VKMSK continues to deteriorate catastrophically. The use of modern dredging equipment currently available at FSUE "Rosmorport", due to the use of existing ineffective methods of working in the conditions listed above, cannot solve the problem of channel drift. Increasing the capacity of the dredging fleet will also not lead to a reduction in the volume of excavated soil and a reduction in dredging costs.

The scheme we propose for changing the technology of work allows, despite the insufficient knowledge of the processes of sediment movement from edge spaces (including from underwater landfills) to the bed of the VKMSK, to reduce the volume of work by 30-40% only by preventing underwater landfills. This does not mean that other methods of combating drift using protective dams, “traps”, etc. are consigned to oblivion. Work to find ways to implement them should be continued, because they can reduce the amount of dredging by another 30-40%. It should be noted that these schemes do not contradict, but rather complement each other. The proposed modernized scheme, which provides for the introduction of an additional link - a multi-purpose vessel (MPV), allows not only to reduce the volume of dredging work, but also, at the same time, without additional costs, to solve a series of problems regarding the use of withdrawn soils as fertilizers, components for feeding birds, livestock, fish, arrangement of sites for the construction of objects for various purposes, etc. in any adjacent areas with access to water. This scheme can also be used in the extraction of minerals in reservoirs, sand, etc., since less than other methods it creates a plume of turbidity that negatively affects the ecosystem (described in more detail below).

Our choice of the type of vessel providing the functions of the MCS fell on the oil ore carrier of Project 15790. However, there may be other options, incl. and specially built vessels. The proposal provides for the creation of an organizational engineering scheme for performing work to eliminate the drift of VKMSK, the implementation of which will solve almost all the problems outlined above.

The essence of the proposal comes down to the creation and inclusion of a special multi-purpose vessel (MCV) in the existing dredging scheme. (Description attached). This vessel is installed at a certain location of the work site, and receives from the self-removal dredger (SDS) the pulp loaded into its hold during the working cycle (loop). The hold capacity of MCS is 2500 m3, SZS is 1000 m3. The soil concentration in the pulp is about 30-40%; higher concentrations cannot be achieved due to soil washout during the operation of the SZS overflow devices. Having unloaded the pulp, the SZS goes to the next cycle. There can be 5-8 such cycles (practice will show). During the next loading cycle of the SZS hold, the accepted dose of pulp is settled at the MCS (within 1 hour, up to 80% of the suspensions are deposited, and the clarified water is removed overboard through the overflow devices of the MCS or its hydraulic loader). Having filled the hold as much as possible, the MCS transports the soil to the nearest onshore or remote offshore landfill, and, using its hydraulic loader or grab crane, unloads the soil and returns. The cycle repeats. Depending on the distance of the work site to the landfill, the operating mode of the SPS and the number of MCS are established (minimum quantity 2 units).

According to the current dredging scheme, the SZS, even filling the hold only 50-60% and transporting 600 m3 of soil, spends a lot of time traveling to the dump point and back, which significantly reduces the efficiency of its work. Options for the joint work of SZS and MCS may be different, while the basic principles that distinguish the proposed scheme from now on are observed.

In the offshore sections of the VKMSK, the MDS is installed at the work site at the point where the SZS finishes loading the hold. The main argument for adopting this work option is the high cost of the SPS (about 10 million euros), which urgently requires its maximum use in terms of time for loading and unloading the hold with pulp, while ensuring the maximum possible concentration of suspended matter. It should be taken into account that the operating costs of the sanitary plant for various types of operations fluctuate greatly. If we take the costs of the SZS when loading the hold as 100%, then during the transition to the landfill they will be 80%, when unloading at the parking lot - 40%, and while waiting - 20%. At the same time, the time of transition, standstill, and waiting should be considered not productive, because The SZS does not perform its main function at this time. To compare the current option with the proposed one, we designate estimates and parameters (Table 1).

Table 1

Estimates for the approximate calculation of a round trip, adopted in accordance with the characteristics of vessels in time and conventional units “UE”

From the table 1 it follows that with the existing technology the duration of the round trip of the SZS is 6 hours for the MCS - 15 hours. The amount of soil delivered to the landfill during a round trip for the SZS is 600 m3, for the MCS - ¬2400 m3.

We accepted estimates in “UE” of direct operating costs “PER” approximately, taking into account their identity for SZS and MC for many operations. Substituting the PER values in CU for the operating option of the SPS without SCS and with MCS when delivering 2400 m3 of soil to the landfill, we obtain the PER for the operation option of SPS without MCS in the amount of 1760 CU, for the MCS - 920 CU, for the SPS operating in conjunction with the MCS - 480 UE. The total costs for the SZS + MDS set will be 1400 CU.

Thus, an indicative calculation focused only on the PER shows that the costs for the operation of the SZS in comparison with the operation of the SZS + MCS are 1.2 times higher. The productivity of the SZS, as the main link of the scheme, is tripled. For normal operation of the SZS + MDS scheme with one SZS, 2 MDS are required. Available load reserves will be identified in practice.

You can change the numbers and criticize the proposed calculations, but the fundamental conclusion is that the effectiveness of technology (SES) lies in the fullest use of its capabilities. If we add to this that the cost of the SZS is about 500 million rubles, and the acquisition, reconstruction and repair of the MCS will cost only 80-90 million rubles, then the conclusion in favor of using the MCS becomes obvious.

Multipurpose vessel (MPV) for servicing the waters of ports, canals, etc. We selected the Project 15790 oil ore carrier as the base vessel for retrofitting for the MVC, as it has the required navigation area, size, power equipment and is not in sufficient demand for transport work (Table 2).

table 2

Main dimensions, characteristics of oil ore carrier of projects 1570 and 15790

The vessel is equipped with additional devices and mechanisms.

1. Piling device for quick and reliable installation in any water area.

2. A portal crane with a lifting capacity of 5 tons above the cargo hold.

3. Hydraulic loader with a capacity of 1000 m3/hour on the crane portal.

4. Hydraulic monitors and overflow devices for hold treatment.

5. If necessary, the MCS can be retrofitted with soil receiving devices and perform the functions of the SPS.

In addition to working in a circuit with SZS, MDS can perform the following work:

Delivery, installation and survey of navigational floating buoys.

Transportation of various cargoes, loading and unloading with our own crane, incl. to an unequipped shore.

Carrying out dredging work at berths with soil transportation and unloading.

Participation in the construction of hydraulic structures on the river and at sea.

Independent performance of small dredging works using a grab crane, and if there is a soil intake device, use it as a self-propelled plant. Due to the presence of a sanitary protection station and a stationary station in Astrakhan, the question of creating a sanitary protection station on the basis of the MCS has not yet been raised. This is possible for other options.

When working in river conditions, where the most appropriate is the use of existing stationary dredgers (DS), at the MDS the DS works through a floating pipeline, which ensures continuous loading of the MDS. Loading is not carried out continuously, but intermittently, in order to ensure sedimentation of the pulp and removal of clarified water using MCS. During the period of transition of the MCS to the nearest stationary settling ponds and unloading of soil onto them, the WS makes a shift to the next work site or begins to work on the second MCS. Relocating a floating soil pipeline to a new work site, compared to the complexities of laying the onshore part of the soil pipeline, is not only much cheaper and simpler, but also environmentally safe. Considering that the construction of several (4-5) coastal sedimentation ponds is necessary regardless of the work scheme, that the equipment used is very productive and not expensive to maintain, the economic feasibility is beyond doubt.

All work and services related to the acquisition and re-equipment of the MCS, the selection of sites for the design and construction of coastal sedimentation ponds can be performed in Astrakhan.

Conclusion

The presented arguments and assessments show that the proposed scheme of operation of the SZS and MCC is more effective than the currently existing one. This is achieved by more fully using the productivity of the sanitary protection system in terms of the amount of soil removed, reducing the return drift of the canal and, accordingly, the volume of work. Transferring the work of transporting pulp from the SZS to the MCS, as calculations show, is advisable even with the introduction of an intermediate reloading operation. The additional benefits from reducing environmental damage, reducing the amount of work, using confiscated soils in economic activities, etc. will be incomparably greater and will quickly pay off the costs associated with the acquisition, retrofitting, repair and operation of the MCC.

On October 21, 2015, a meeting of the Presidium of the Maritime Collegium was held under the Russian government. We discussed the readiness of the Volga-Caspian sea shipping canal for the removal of large-sized objects. According to the head of the Astrakhan region, Alexander Zhilkin, who spoke at the board, it is necessary first of all to pay attention to the problem of dredging the canal. According to the governor, the state of VKMSK will largely determine Russian prospects in the development of cargo flows on the Caspian Sea, reports Russian Planet with reference to the personal website of the governor of the Astrakhan region.

Bibliographic link

Rusanov N.V., Bukharitsin P.I., Bezzubikov L.G. VOLGA-CASPIAN SEA SHIPPING CANAL – CURRENT STATE OF THE PROBLEM AND WAYS TO SOLUTION // International Journal of Applied and Fundamental Research. – 2016. – No. 4-5. – P. 863-871;
URL: https://applied-research.ru/ru/article/view?id=9091 (access date: 10.29.2019). We bring to your attention magazines published by the publishing house "Academy of Natural Sciences"

Municipal budgetary educational institution

"Ninovskaya basic secondary school"

Subject " Volga-Caspian Sea Shipping Canal"

(Research work on local history)

Completed:

Kabdrakhimov Timur (9th grade),

MBOU "Ninovskaya OOSH"

Ikryaninsky district

Checked:

Savchenko Elena Nikolaevna

(teacher of geography and biology)

2015

Topic: “Volga-Caspian Sea Shipping Canal.”

Target:

1. Get acquainted with the history of the construction of the Volga-Caspian Canal.

Tasks:

1. Get acquainted with the history of the construction of the Volga-Caspian Canal;

2. Identify the need for canal construction for the country;

3. Consider the work of the Volga-Caspian Canal over 100 years and identify its significance.

Project problem

The Volga-Caspian Canal is one of the largest water and artificial canals in the world.

Content.

INTRODUCTION 3

HISTORY OF CONSTRUCTION OF THE VOLGA-4-5 CASPIAN SEA SHIPPING CANAL

OPERATION AND DEEPENING OF THE CANAL OVER 100 YEARS OF EXISTENCE.

VOLGA-CASPIAN CANAL IN MODERN TIMES 7

CONCLUSION. 8

LIST OF REFERENCES USED. 9

Introduction

Ten kilometers south of Astrakhan, the Volga is divided into two large branches. One of them, called Old Volga, goes to the southeast, and the Volga turns to the west. But her journey is short, after three kilometers. near the village of Red Barricades, it ends. The continuation of the Volga is the Bakhtemir channel. It is also the beginning of the Volga-Caspian shipping canal. Astrakhan residents call it the Main Bank. Here, ships passing downstream say goodbye to the river and enter one of the largest sea canals in the world.

The canal is no different in appearance from other channels of the delta. Only more often on the banks can you see directional signs, and the ship’s environment is more saturated. But river boaters and sailors sailing along it know that the guaranteed depth of the shipping passage is at least six meters. The channel is not wide, and the oncoming tanker passes very close to the shore. It is not easy for captains to navigate such giants in the narrowness of the channel, where the current speed reaches one and a half meters per second. The tanker is accompanied by herring gulls, every now and then slowing down their flight and descending to pick up stunned fry from the water.

History of the construction of the Volga-Caspian Sea

shipping canal

The need for the construction of this unique facility, which subsequently connected the inland ports of Russia with the ports of the Caspian Sea, arose in the middle of the 19th century. This was a time of rapid growth in the tonnage of the Russian merchant fleet and the overall volume of maritime cargo transportation.

Two independent directions were considered: Kamyzyak and Bakhtemir. It took fourteen whole years until, finally, in 1874, one of the Volga branches, Bakhtemir, was approved as the most suitable for maritime navigation.

Bakhtemir- V , the westernmost of .

The length of the river is 125 km. The river starts at 18 below and further separates the Old Volga branch to the left. The channel network of the Bakhtemir system is rare, which is associated with the concentration of runoff in the main direction, the continuation of which on the estuary coastal zone is . Bakhtemir is more convenient for navigation than the main branch.

From Turkic languages the name Bakhtemir is translated as “iron happiness” or “blow to iron”

1874 - the beginning of the first preparatory work in experimental mode on the fairway and is considered the year of birth of the Volga-Caspian Sea Shipping Canal (VKMSK) - now one of the largest artificial hydraulic structures not only in Russia, but also in the world. Its total length, including channel and sea parts, is 188 kilometers.

So, then another 17 years were spent on active dredging of the Bakhtemir branch, when up to 60 thousand cubic meters of bottom soil were extracted from it annually. From Astrakhan to the seaside, this waterway was already marked with shipping milestones. Accordingly, cargo turnover through the port city also increases: from 600 thousand poods in 1873 to 146 million poods in 1891, i.e. up to a third of the cargo then transported through the Suez Shipping Canal.

Work and deepening of the canal over 100 years of existence.

By 1914 of the last century, the dimensions of the canal were: depth 12 feet (3.6 meters), width - 60 fathoms (128 meters), length of the navigable slot - 33.2 kilometers. In the 30-40s, as the level of the Caspian Sea decreased, sea routes brought the volume of dredging to 10 million cubic meters of soil per year, due to which cargo flows not only did not decrease, but also grew steadily.

During the Great Patriotic War, thanks to the courage and heroism of military and civilian sailors and river workers, port workers and railroad workers, the canal remained the only “bridge” connecting the oil-bearing regions of Transcaucasia with the European part of the country. Despite the constant air raids of the Nazis on convoys of ships, our fronts and rear regularly received fuel and lubricants, food, equipment and weapons.

In the first decade of war, when the level of the Caspian Sea was continuously decreasing, the volume of excavated soil increased annually.

IN The dimensions of the VKK were:

depth - 3.6 m

width - 120 m

length - 168 km

IN cargo turnover reached 20 million tons per year.

In the early 90s of the 20th century, with the collapse of economic ties within the country, the volume of cargo transportation along the Volga-Caspian Sea and, accordingly, the volume of dredging work decreased sharply. IN The canal came under the jurisdiction of the Maritime Port Administration (MAP) of Astrakhan. At this time, with the stabilization of the level of the Caspian Sea, the volume of cargo transportation and, as a consequence, dredging work are resumed and gradually increased, reaching 1.8 million cubic meters.

WITH Merchant shipping in the basin is actively developing. Russia and the Caspian countries have joined the international transport corridor “North-South”, which makes it possible to annually increase cargo turnover through the ports of Astrakhan and : from 0.97 million tons in 1998 to 4.7 million tons in . With the growth of maritime trade, the volume of dredging work has also increased significantly: in they amounted to 2.54 million cubic meters. In 2003, the Volga-Caspian Canal was transferred to the management of the FSUE Rosmorport branch in Astrakhan

Volga-Caspian Canal in modern times .

As the level of the Caspian Sea decreased or, conversely, increased, the volume of dredging and repair work on the canal also changed. However, the safety of navigation in any, even the most difficult times, has been and remains the main thing for specialists of the FSUE “Rosmorport” branch in Astrakhan. It is no coincidence that the canal is considered one of the strategically important objects of the Russian economy - one of the branches of the international North-South transport corridor passes through it. Developing the resource base of the Caspian Sea, increasing the port capacity of Astrakhan, developing the sea trade port of Olya - all this is realistically feasible only if the canal is stable. Surveying, dredging and service work is carried out here using modern technology, which ensures the safe movement of vessels with a draft of up to 4.5 meters.

The gradual modernization of navigation support, communications and exchange of operational information in the area of the VKMSK and the Astrakhan sea raid continues, planned until 2011. Today, a source of particular pride for seaport workers is the Vessel Traffic Control System (VTCS), which allows the operator to literally “drive” several ships at the same time, located tens of kilometers away. Each of them moves through the channel on average from 12 to 15 hours, and all this time their location is recorded on computer screens. With the introduction of base stations on the island. The nameless canal and the port of Olya will be completely under the control of the VTS, thanks to which for the second year in a row not a single serious accident has occurred in its coverage area.

Despite the crisis that has affected almost all sectors of the domestic economy, cargo turnover through the ports of Astrakhan and Olya for 8 months of this year compared to the same period last year even increased to 113%, and cargo processing - to 106%. The number of visits by foreign vessels increased by 18%. All this is the result, among other things, of the competent operation of the “road to the sea”. The staff of the FSUE “Rosmorport” branch congratulates industry veterans, fleet workers, and all participants in the transport process on the 135th anniversary of the Volga-Caspian sea shipping canal, which works for the benefit of Russia, a great maritime power.

Conclusion.

The canal, as a transport route, has existed for more than a hundred years. Transportation through the canal amounts to about 10 million tons of various cargoes per year. Their volumes are growing, vehicles are becoming larger, and the depths do not always fully satisfy the needs of the fleet. Many problems arise, they are being solved and will be solved so that the channel continues to exist.

For 2016)

When you talk to veterans about current times, they fall silent and seem to be transported to the years of their youth, uttering an old man’s phrase familiar to everyone: “But in our time everything was not like that...”

In these words, full of pain, there is not so much nostalgia for the past as such, but nostalgia for real work, which brought joy and satisfaction with life.

I can’t help but remember the lines written by Andrei Voznesensky: “I don’t know about the others, but I feel the most severe nostalgia not for the past - nostalgia for the present!..”

In order for river workers to revive not only their glorious traditions, but also to preserve shipping in the Urals, they will have to work a lot in the new economic conditions, and they have managed to do something in this direction. This will be the subject of the final part of the essay. But first it is necessary to talk about events that could give the development of shipping in the Urals a powerful impetus. However, everything turned out differently.

River of Unfulfilled Hopes

“...The years passed. The Volga was blocked by dams, and hydroelectric power stations appeared on the lower and middle Volga. The Volga waters reached the Ural River, and on the other hand, the Siberian water of the Yenisei and Irtysh came to the Volga steppes. Sea vessels sailed from the Kara Sea up the Yenisei, through the Turgai Canal, through the Aral Fresh Sea to the Caspian Sea and from there rose all the way to Moscow. Stripes of forests changed the appearance of the country and created a new climate. In the center of the continent, a kind of new continent arose, a continent of fertility.”

This excerpt from the science fiction novel “Underwater Sun” by Alexander Kazantsev will certainly surprise the reader: here, they say, where did the writer go... Meanwhile, Kazantsev’s fantastic ideas had historical basis.

The need to transfer part of the flow of Siberian rivers to the south became clear to scientists back in the last century. In 1871, engineer Demchenko proposed building high dams on the Ob and Irtysh, laying a canal along the Turgai depression and releasing water into the Aral-Caspian depression. Similar ideas were expressed in 1920 by Bukevich, in 1924 by Monastyrev, and in the early 30s by Davydov.

After heavy floods in 1970 and 1971, a long period of low water began in the Ural basin. According to scientists' forecasts, the progressive withdrawal of water from the Urals and its tributaries for the needs of industry and agriculture in the next 10-15 years could lead to the fact that the Urals would share the fate of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, that is, it would not reach the sea.

On September 28, 1974, the Novouzen steppes were shaken by a terrible explosion. One hundred thousand cubic meters of soil flew into the air - the construction of the riverbed part of the Volga-Ural canal began. Scientists from Moscow and Kyiv were present at the observation deck.

The volume of construction and installation work was planned to be five times greater than during the construction of the Volga-Don Canal. Pumping stations, reinforced concrete dams and dikes, water intake devices, bases for the development of commercial fish, reservoirs - this and much more were planned in the complex of the water highway under construction. According to the designers, the Volga-Ural canal was supposed to solve several problems: irrigate fields and pastures, supply livestock farms with water, replenish lakes and streams that dry up in summer in the Volga region and Western Kazakhstan, and ensure the annual transfer of more than four cubic kilometers of water to the Urals to improve breeding conditions fish and their habitats.

It was expected that the construction of the Volga-Ural Canal would dramatically improve navigation conditions on the river between Uralsk and Guryev. The now deceased associate professor of the Ural Pedagogical Institute. A.S. Pushkin G. Moskalev wrote: “The main types of vessels for the canal will be self-propelled vessels with a carrying capacity of about 2 thousand tons with a draft of 3-3.5 meters. In addition to Uralsk, new large marinas will appear in the Urals - Burlin and Chapaevo. The flow of grain and other agricultural cargo, as well as a huge amount of sand and gravel mixture from the quarries of the Ural basin, will be carried by water to the Volga region. From the piers of the Volga to the piers of the Urals, timber will mainly be delivered along the Volga-Kama route" (Collection "Economic Development of the Northern Caspian Region", Uralsk, 1973).

In winter, part of the cargo from the canal zone could be sent via the Makat-Alexandrov Gai railway, which was planned to be built in the near future. The canal was planned to be built by 1985.

The construction, which began rapidly, however, quickly collapsed. The point is not only that the construction of the Baikal-Amur Railway, which required huge capital investments, began almost simultaneously. The underestimation of environmental factors when designing the Volga-Ural canal became obvious. In particular, the canal bed was planned to be concreted only in certain areas, so water filtration would cause a rise in the groundwater level and soil erosion.

A rather strange situation has arisen. The fact is that in the technogenic era, the use of rivers, especially transboundary ones, is complex. The Urals were used in an original way: there was no more fish in it in the previous sense, and no shipping either. So the plans to organize a tourism industry in the Urals-Father remained unrealized; the riverbed and banks stopped being cleared and turned into a wood warehouse... But the river continued to be actively polluted by industrial waste. The Urals began to turn into a dead watercourse.

When there was no highly developed industry and powerful irrigation systems in the river basin, shallowing did not cause much harm to fish stocks. The Urals coped with self-cleaning, so, by the way, there was no particular need to remove driftwood and carch from the riverbed.

In our century the situation has changed markedly. The flow of the Urals has fallen, and the quality of its waters has deteriorated. Any negative factors that once did not particularly affect the river ecosystem have acquired special weight. The river needs help.

The channel was saved. What about the Urals?

During his visit to Uralsk in August 1994, the Minister of Ecology and Bioresources of the Republic of Kazakhstan Svyatoslav Medvedev made it clear that those who work in it should monitor the environmental condition of the Urals, so there should be no obstacles to the clearing of the river by the Ural Shipping Company.

At the end of the 90s, complaints began to be heard more and more often that fish almost did not go to the Urals. Meanwhile, since 1990, the deepening of the Ural-Caspian Canal has stopped, again under the slogan of caring for fish. But sturgeon need depth to spawn. Conservationists achieved that, as a result of siltation of the canal, they paralyzed the work of the Guryev river port and sharply limited the passage of sturgeon for spawning. As they say, neither ours nor yours.

But academician A. Yanshin, in his book “Lessons of Environmental Miscalculations,” proposed deepening the Ural delta in order to ensure the passage of fish to spawn. The proposal was not heeded. After the wood was broken, sobering set in.

Ichthyologists are convinced that the overgrowing of the canal harms the red fish. Environmentalists realized that the shallows at the mouth of the Urals raise the water level, causing populated areas to be flooded during floods.

The Kazakh newspaper Transcourier wrote in 1995: “Everyone is talking about saving fish, saving the Urals. Everyone needs the Ural-Caspian Canal, but no one has invested a single ruble in this business, except for the Ural Shipping Company, which was ruined long ago.”

Only in 1999 did the clearing of the canal finally begin...

In 1994, the author of these lines received a letter from Minister Svyatoslav Medvedev. The letter stated that the Ministry of Ecology and Bioresources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, together with the Academy of Sciences, had developed a National Program for the Rational Use of Natural Resources.

The section “Regional problems of water basins in the Caspian region (West Kazakhstan region) provides for the implementation of measures for the development and implementation of the “Scheme for the integrated use and protection of water resources of the Ural River on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan, taking into account the water supply of the West Kazakhstan region (together with Russia).

The implementation of program activities requires the allocation of funds from the state budget in the amount of at least 3.5% of the gross national income. The letter emphasized that according to the program for the reproduction and reproduction of the number of sturgeon fish in the Ural-Caspian basin for 1993-2010, the construction of fish breeding facilities (factories) for the annual cultivation of juvenile sturgeon fish, as well as the clearing and digging of channels and canals in the deltas of the Urals and Volga. In the border regions of Kazakhstan and Russia, it was planned to develop an interstate program for the rational use and protection of water resources in the Ural basin.

The letter ended with the phrase: “All these issues can be resolved only if financial resources are available.”

(End to follow)