Irrigation: water schedules by canal
The seasonal water allocation plan for 2026 was approved by Order No. 64 of 25.03.2026 on the basis of the forecast of the Talas River Hydrological Monitoring Service (Talas: 104% of the mean for April-September). Water is delivered to the water users' associations at the outlets of the main canals; within the association it is shared by the association's own turn list.
The provisional schedule for the 2027 season will be published by 15 April 2027 (Order No. 97 of 03.06.2020).
1. Canals and the 2026 season
Find canal or district:
Talas Basin Agricultural Directorate (Talas and Kara-Buura districts)
| Canal | District | km | ha | Source | Season 2026 | Plan, m³/s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Talas Canal Main canal of the lower Talas valley. Lined sections: 31 km of 65 (Programme 2018-). | Kara-Buura, Talas | 65 | 38 200 | Talas River, Kara-Bulak headworks | 10.04-15.10 | 21.0 |
| Muz-Suu Left Bank Canal | Talas | 18 | 7 400 | Muz-Suu River, left intake | 15.04-30.09 | 4.2 |
| Muz-Suu Right Bank Canal Intake destroyed by the Muz-Köl flood of 22.07.2016, rebuilt 2017. | Talas | 14 | 5 100 | Muz-Suu River, right intake (rebuilt 2017) | 15.04-30.09 | 3.1 |
| Jon-Töbö Canal | Talas | 14 | 4 600 | Talas River, upper valley | 20.04-30.09 | 2.6 |
| Urmaral Canal Flood sirens on the Urmaral since 2020. | Talas | 22 | 8 900 | Urmaral River | 15.04-30.09 | 4.8 |
| Kara-Buura Main Canal Releases from the reservoir counted against the Talas share with Kazakhstan (since 2021). | Kara-Buura | 41 | 16 800 | Kyzyl-Adyr Reservoir | 05.04-10.10 | 9.5 |
| Talas Valley minor canals (37) Operated by the water users' associations. | Talas, Kara-Buura | 410 | 29 000 | Talas and tributaries | by WUA | – |
Chu Valley Irrigation Inspectorate (Chu District)
| Canal | District | km | ha | Source | Season 2026 | Plan, m³/s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Main Canal Partly lined. Grain, sugar beet and feed farms. | Chu | 95 | 34 500 | Central Headworks on the Chu | 10.04-10.10 | 18.0 |
| Great Chu Canal Supplies rice paddies of the lower plain; first to be cut in dry years. | Chu | 26 | 14 200 | Central Headworks on the Chu | 10.04-10.10 | 9.0 |
| Karasu Canal Also the dacha cooperatives of Nurzhan (watering days). | Chu | 31 | 11 800 | Chu River, Karasu weir | 15.04-30.09 | 6.1 |
| Boz-Suu diversion (1958 weir) Diverts most of the Boz-Suu into the Chu system. | Chu | 12 | 9 600 | Boz-Suu River | 15.04-30.09 | 4.0 |
| Industrial intakes, Nurzhan Process and cooling water for the refinery and plants (not irrigation). | Nurzhan | – | – | Chu River | all year | 2.4 |
Lower Naryn Irrigation Section
| Canal | District | km | ha | Source | Season 2026 | Plan, m³/s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dostuk Canal (ISEZ section) Cotton and orchards. Water by the Naryn Water and Power Protocol schedule. | Lower Naryn | 53 | 12 700 | Naryn River | 01.04-30.09 | 11.5 |
| Pakhta-Abad Canal Cotton, maize. | Lower Naryn | 27 | 6 300 | Naryn River | 01.04-30.09 | 5.4 |
Plan: maximum discharge at the head of the canal in June-July. Seasons are given as day.month.
2. Monthly discharge, plan and fact, 2026 (m³/s, monthly mean at the head)
| Canal | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| plan | fact | plan | fact | plan | fact | plan | fact | plan | fact | plan | fact | |
| Great Talas Canal | 12.0 | 11.4 | 18.5 | 18.9 | 21.0 | 21.3 | 21.0 | 20.6 | 19.0 | 18.1 | 11.0 | 11.2 |
| Kara-Buura Main Canal | 5.0 | 5.2 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 9.5 | 9.4 | 9.5 | 9.1 | 8.5 | 8.2 | 4.5 | 4.6 |
| Western Main Canal | 9.0 | 8.7 | 15.0 | 14.8 | 18.0 | 17.6 | 18.0 | 16.9 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 8.0 | 7.9 |
| Great Chu Canal | 4.0 | 4.1 | 8.0 | 7.9 | 9.0 | 8.8 | 9.0 | 8.1 | 7.5 | 6.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 |
| Dostuk Canal (ISEZ section) | 6.0 | 6.1 | 9.5 | 9.6 | 11.5 | 11.5 | 11.5 | 11.2 | 10.5 | 10.4 | 5.0 | 5.1 |
Fact below 95% of the plan is shown in red. In August the Chu canals received less because of lower releases upstream; no rotations were needed in 2026.
3. Autumn moisture-charging watering 2026 (Order No. 151 of 20.10.2026)
| Water users' association | Villages | Canal | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kara-Oi | Kara-Oi, Kalba | Great Talas Canal | 26.10-04.11 |
| Ak-Terek | Ak-Terek, Cholpon-Bulak | Great Talas Canal | 26.10-04.11 |
| Kara-Bulak | Kara-Bulak, Tegirmen | Great Talas Canal | 05.11-14.11 |
| Kyzyl-Adyr | Kyzyl-Adyr, Bakyyan | Kara-Buura Main Canal | 26.10-06.11 |
| Taldy-Suu | Taldy-Suu, Ak-Döbö, Chet-Bulak | Kara-Buura Main Canal | 07.11-16.11 |
| Orto-Ayyl | Orto-Ayyl, Ming-Örük | Urmaral Canal | 01.11-08.11 |
| Sarymsakty | Sarymsakty, Kümüshtü, Kök-Oi | Jon-Töbö Canal | 28.10-03.11 |
| Besh-Terek | Besh-Terek, Shahr-i Nav | Western Main Canal | 27.10-07.11 |
| Jon-Aryk | Jon-Aryk, Kum-Aryk | Western Main Canal | 08.11-18.11 |
| Uch-Emchek | Uch-Emchek, Sary-Döbö, Aral | Great Chu Canal | 01.11-10.11 |
| Besh-Moinok | Besh-Moinok, Kök-Döbö | Karasu Canal | 02.11-12.11 |
| Kapka-Tash | Kapka-Tash, Bulak-Bashy | Dostuk Canal | closed 15.10 (winter release regime) |
Orchards and lucerne first, then ploughed land. Watering at night is allowed. Farms with arrears for water may be left out of the turn list by the association.
4. Winter closures and repairs 2026-2027
| Canal | Works | Closed |
|---|---|---|
| Great Talas Canal | km 31-36, concrete lining (Programme lot T-14) | 20.11.2026-15.03.2027 |
| Kara-Buura Main Canal | km 12-15, lining; sluice gates at Bakyyan | 25.11.2026-20.03.2027 |
| Western Main Canal | km 44-51, lining (Programme lot C-09); collector drain cleaning | 25.11.2026-25.03.2027 |
| Muz-Suu Right Bank Canal | intake gate repair | 01.12.2026-28.02.2027 |
| Karasu Canal | weir apron | 01.12.2026-15.03.2027 |
5. Rotations in dry years
When the flow at the head works falls below 70% of the plan the Ministry introduces rotations: each section of a canal receives water for a number of days in turn (in August 2021 on the Talas canals: four days in eight). High-water crops (rice, then lucerne) are cut first. Large users act on their dry-year plans (Executive Directive 2022/14). Rotation schedules are announced on this site, on IradOne and through the water users' associations.
6. Watering days of the dacha cooperatives (Nurzhan)
Karasu Canal, from 15 May to 15 September: Tuesday and Friday, 6:00-12:00 (Order No. 54 of 11.06.2018). Use of pumps on the canal outside these hours is not allowed.
7. Water fees
35 som per 1,000 m³ (2026), paid to the water users' association; the association pays the Directorate or the Inspectorate 22 som per 1,000 m³ at the farm gate of the main canal. Fees are paid by the end of the season; associations may refuse water to a farm with arrears for the previous year.
Water hotline in the season: +996-39-2-24-60-00 (8:00-20:00).