The Kuloy-Pinega Canal (russian: Кулой-Пинежский канал) is a

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...

connecting the rivers Kuloy and

Pinega Pinega (russian: Пинега) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, rural locality (a settlement), formerly a town, in Pinezhsky District of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Pinega River (hence the name). It se ...

in Northern Russia at their closest points. The length of the canal is . The canal was constructed in 1928. The canal is located close to the settlement of

in Pinezhsky District, Arkhangelsk Oblast,

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

. The Pinega flows in the north-western direction, and close to the settlement of Pinega sharply turns south-west. Formerly, the Kuloy and the Pinega were one waterway flowing to the

Mezen Bay The Mezen Bay (russian: Мезенская губа) is located in Arkhangelsk Oblast and Nenets Autonomous Okrug in Northwestern Russia. It is one of four large bays and gulfs of the White Sea, the others being the Dvina Bay, the Onega Bay, and ...

of the

White Sea The White Sea (russian: Белое море, ''Béloye móre''; Karelian and fi, Vienanmeri, lit. Dvina Sea; yrk, Сэрако ямʼ, ''Serako yam'') is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is s ...

; then the Pinega turned to the

Northern Dvina The Northern Dvina (russian: Се́верная Двина́, ; kv, Вы́нва / Výnva) is a river in northern Russia flowing through the Vologda Oblast and Arkhangelsk Oblast into the Dvina Bay of the White Sea. Along with the Pechora River ...

. During a certain period, there was a

bifurcation Bifurcation or bifurcated may refer to: Science and technology * Bifurcation theory, the study of sudden changes in dynamical systems ** Bifurcation, of an incompressible flow, modeled by squeeze mapping the fluid flow * River bifurcation, the ...

between the Kuloy and the Pinega, when the discharge of the Pinega partially was flowing to the Northern Dvina and partially it was flowing to the Kuloy. Currently, the bifurcation does not exist, and the Pinega is fully discharged into the Northern Dvina. As a trace of the former bifurcation, there is a depression between the Pinega and the Kuloy. The canal has been built in this depression. On the Kuloy side, the canal separates the Sotka River (upstream canal) and the Kuloy (downstream). The project of the canal construction between the Kuloy and the Mezen was first discussed in 1840. The idea behind was that the timber in the Sotka, the Kuloy, and other rivers in the Kuloy basin could be only rafted into the Mezen Bay, located remotely, or transported by land. It would be more convenient to channel the timber into the Pinega and downstream to the Northern Dvina. In 1844, the Arkhangelsk State Good Chamber decided that the project is unprofitable. In 1925, new research has been performed, cause by the growth of timber cutting in the Kuloy River basin. The construction of the canal took two years, from 1926 to 1928. There was one

lock Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

on the canal long. The minimum width of the canal is . The canal is currently in use, though it is pretty much neglected, the lock is broken, and the canal is too shallow for large boats. In summer, it sometimes almost dries out.

References

External links

*{{cite web, url=http://textual.ru/gvr/index.php?card=163486, script-title=ru:Канал Кулой, publisher=State Water Register of Russia, language=Russian, accessdate=13 August 2011 Canals in Russia CKuloy-Pinega CKuloy-Pinega Buildings and structures in Arkhangelsk Oblast Canals opened in 1928 Transport in Arkhangelsk Oblast