Ob-Yenisei canal
Encyclopedia
Ob-Yenisei Canal, also known as Ket-Kas Canal is a disused waterway that connected the basins of the rivers Ob
and Yenisei
in Siberia.
, a tributary of the Ob
with the Greater Kas River, a tributary of the Yenisei
, making use of their tributaries and lakes. The divide between the two river systems (which is also the border between today's Tomsk Oblast
and Krasnoyarsk Krai
) is spanned by a
hand-dug canal 8 km long, 20 m wide at the bottom, and 2.1 m (7 feet) deep.
Trans-Siberian Railway
.
Plans to improve the canal were considered around 1911, but were abandoned due to the beginning of the First World War.
The canal was severely damaged during the Civil War, and closed for navigation in 1921.
The canal was used one more time in 1942, when three steamboats and a cutter managed to make their way from the
Yenisei to the Ob, but the passage was extremely difficult.
The canal is now fully abandoned. It is occasionally reached by tourists using canoe
s, cars, or bicycles, or on foot.
Ob River
The Ob River , also Obi, is a major river in western Siberia, Russia and is the world's seventh longest river. It is the westernmost of the three great Siberian rivers that flow into the Arctic Ocean .The Gulf of Ob is the world's longest estuary.-Names:The Ob is known to the Khanty people as the...
and Yenisei
Yenisei River
Yenisei , also written as Yenisey, is the largest river system flowing to the Arctic Ocean. It is the central of the three great Siberian rivers that flow into the Arctic Ocean...
in Siberia.
Location
The waterway connected the Ket RiverKet River
right|thumb|300px|The Ket was a part of the [[Siberian River Routes]] - double clickKet River , also known in its upper reaches as the Big Ket River is a river in the Krasnoyarsk Krai and Tomsk Oblast in Russia, a right tributary of the Ob River. The length of the Ket River is 1,621 km. The area...
, a tributary of the Ob
Ob River
The Ob River , also Obi, is a major river in western Siberia, Russia and is the world's seventh longest river. It is the westernmost of the three great Siberian rivers that flow into the Arctic Ocean .The Gulf of Ob is the world's longest estuary.-Names:The Ob is known to the Khanty people as the...
with the Greater Kas River, a tributary of the Yenisei
Yenisei River
Yenisei , also written as Yenisey, is the largest river system flowing to the Arctic Ocean. It is the central of the three great Siberian rivers that flow into the Arctic Ocean...
, making use of their tributaries and lakes. The divide between the two river systems (which is also the border between today's Tomsk Oblast
Tomsk Oblast
Tomsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It lies in the southeastern West Siberian Plain, in the southwest of the Siberian Federal District. Its administrative center is the city of Tomsk. Population:...
and Krasnoyarsk Krai
Krasnoyarsk Krai
Krasnoyarsk Krai is a federal subject of Russia . It is the second largest federal subject after the Sakha Republic, and Russia's largest krai, occupying an area of , which is 13% of the country's total territory. The administrative center of the krai is the city of Krasnoyarsk...
) is spanned by a
hand-dug canal 8 km long, 20 m wide at the bottom, and 2.1 m (7 feet) deep.
History
The canal was built in a period between 1882 and 1891, but was too shallow and narrow to compete with theTrans-Siberian Railway
Trans-Siberian Railway
The Trans-Siberian Railway is a network of railways connecting Moscow with the Russian Far East and the Sea of Japan. It is the longest railway in the world...
.
Plans to improve the canal were considered around 1911, but were abandoned due to the beginning of the First World War.
The canal was severely damaged during the Civil War, and closed for navigation in 1921.
The canal was used one more time in 1942, when three steamboats and a cutter managed to make their way from the
Yenisei to the Ob, but the passage was extremely difficult.
The canal is now fully abandoned. It is occasionally reached by tourists using canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
s, cars, or bicycles, or on foot.