REPORT ON HELMAND RIVER WATER LEVEL IN CHAKANSUR AREA.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP08C01297R000100130021-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 6, 2012
• Sequence Number: 21
• Publication Date: October 16, 1947
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/09/06: CIA-RDP08C01297R000100130021-6
KtSIKILItI)
Rind.
Nov. 4. 1947
RF..S TRIO
No. 346 AMERlCA2a L1 'JATI0N
Kabul, Afghanistan, October 16, 1947
ACTION Subject: Report on Helmand River G+ater Level in
NT+A Chakansur Area.
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THE 110NORABLE
TH SECRETARY OP STATE,
'''UAS.IIIN T OII.
SIR:
I have the honor to enclose a r:ierlorandum concerning
the effect of the current drou it on the water level of
the llolmand River in the Chakansur Area, The memorandum
is based on data compiled by Louis STANLEY, hydrologist
of Zaorrison-Knudsen Afghanistan, Inc., the J'lmerican
engineering company now under contract to the Afghan
Government for the construction of roads, irrigation
projects, eta.
The Chakansur area includes that part of Afghanistan
where the Helmand River forms the international boundary
between this country and Iran. Disputes about the divi-
sion of water for the adjacent irrigated areas of both
countries have arisen periodically for many years. A
particularly serious dispute has arisen this year because
the severe drought which is now affecting most of Afghan-
istan has caused the level of the HelmanddRiver to fall
so low that there is no water for the irrigation ditches.
The Iranian press has charged that Afghan farmers diverted
all the water upstream so that none was left for Iranian
areas. The Iranian farmers are reported to have threat-
ened to invade Afghanistan and stop this diversion. Also,
Iranian officials apparently are not well informed of
conditions in this country. For instance, they have in-
dicated that they believe a canal 30 meters wide and l,'a
motors deep has been a major factor in diverting the
via for of the Helmand Itivor. They undoubtedly moan the
13oghra Canal near ;irisbk which is now under construction
and will not be ready for use until tho, year after next.
Each year an yfghan mission meets an Iranian mission
at Band-i-Kamal Khan on the Helmand River to divide the
water available for irrigation. This year the Afghan
mission was accompanied by I.ir. Stanley. The ',fission
waited several weeks for the Iranian ;fission, which it
knew to be on the other side of the boundary. It was
only
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Kabul Despatch 346, October 16, 1947 Rage 2
only when the Afghan Mission threatened to return to
Kabul that the Iranian ;.tisaion was finally persuaded to
Join It.
The Iranian Illusion then claimed that the water
should be divided at a point about thirty miles above
Band-i-Kamal Khan, although that had never been done
before. The Afghan Mission refused this claim. During
the discussions one of the non-official members of the
Iranian mission slipped away clandestinely and rode off
in the 'direction of the irri*ated aren above Rand-i-Kamal
Khan. Although the Afghan military authorities spread a
cordon to find him, they apparently did not succeed --
not surprising; considerinL the ru,;ged desert area in that
section.
Mr. Stanley's data were compiled .for the use of his
company and of the Afghan Ministry of Public -.o.ks.
Rospoctfully your3,
Ely E. t'almer
Iinclosure:
I.I. '+ioRA?r uM dated September 24, 1947
Copies sent to: Tehran
Kabul A (2)
Forwarded to Department
in ori;inal & hecto.
File no. 716
PEPaddock:hf
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only enclosure to Kabul Despatch 346
dated October 16, 1947 page 1
I,11 EL1011ANDUM
September 24, 1947
The Legation has received information as noted be-
low from one of the field engineers of Imorrison-Knudsen
Afghanistan, Inc., who, as hydrologist for this American
firm in fghaniutan, returned late in August from a,four
week trip into Chakansur Province in Afghanistan where
he had been sent by the firm to observe the flow of the
Helmand River and the several canals from the Helmand
to Afghan lands.
The furthest upstream point visited was the diver-
sion of the Chahar Iiujack canal, 26 miles above the
villa;;o of Chahar Bujaok. Prom this point the river
flows northwesterly for about 40 miles and then swings
to the north for about 36 miles to the Iranian border.
The river meanders through a valley ;enerally about a
mile wide, with the valley floor in some places widen-
in; into quite largo irrigated areas. In nany places
the river is divided into two or more channels. The
central valley floor is quite sandy, characterized by
river bars overgrown with brush and bench lands two to
four motors above the river level varying from good,
irri,,able soil to. blow sand with many extensive areas
of dunes. The valley is bordered by low hills of irre-
gular soil to blow sand with many extensive areas of
dunes. The valley is bordered by low hills of irregu-
lar pattern, becomiznZ lower as they progress downstream
and tapering; into flat desert and arable lands a few
miles above the border.
most of the irrigated lands in Chakansur Province
lie on the right side of the river, that is, to the
north and oast of it. There are five canals diverting
to the right and two smaller ones to the left. Some
brief data concerning these canals, derived from some
of the people in the Province, is to follow, Attention
is called to the probability that some of these data
are far fron correct.
Name of Canal Length
Acres
Irrigated
Bailt
Years
Chahar Bujaek 41 miles
35,000
150
Kala }Fatah 40 "
50,000
Very old
Bandar 34
7, 000
200
Daka Dela 6 "
2,500
47
Rwabla 20
10,000
100
sills 22
36,000
40
Ltah Run~,i 22
170,000
80
The first inspection of the river on this trip was
made at Kohacwk, just above the Iranian border, on July
25. A diachar3o measurement was made on that date and
showed
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dated October 16, 1947 page 2
rr r~rr~rr~~ ~~..r~-rwnr ~ r
showod 47 second-feet, all of which was going down the
Seistan branch into Iran. The right branch, known lo-
cally as "Co:maon Itiver", which forms the boundary between
Afghanistan and Iran, was dry and blocked by sand dunes.
The Shie, Kavb a and i:ah fungi canals were dry and had
been so for some time.
on July 28, the diversion of the Chahar Bujack canal
was visited. The canal was dry and had been so for sev-
eral days. The flcw of the Helmand at that point was 60
seooad-Meet. The diversion of the Kala Fatah canal was
visited on the 'following day, July 29o It was carrying
an e3timated 3 second-feet, too little and.spread out
for a ourrthLt .:.ctf:r measurement.
A measurement of the Helmand River at t3andar-i-
Kamal 'Klan was made on August 11. The discharge was 5
second-feet.
On August 12, the diversions of the Kala Fatah and
Daka Dela canals were visited. Both canals were dry.
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