Image: Syr Darya River Floodplain, Kazakhstan, Central Asia

Description: The Syr Darya River Floodplain is shown here as a tangle of twisting meanders and loops (image centre). The darkest areas are brushy vegetation along the present course (filled with blue-green water); wisps of vegetation are also visible along flanking swampy depressions, or sloughs. An older floodplain appears as more diffuse dark vegetation (image upper left), where relict bends are overlain by a rectangular pattern of cotton fields. The straight channel of a new diversion canal—one of 16 from this point downstream—can be seen along the east bank of the river. The older floodplain is fed from the Chardara Reservoir, immediately upstream (not shown). Half the river flow is controlled from reservoirs, and half from direct water take-off from canals. In contrast to the intensive agricultural use of water shown here, water control in the mountain valleys upstream is oriented more toward power generation.
Title: Syr Darya River Floodplain, Kazakhstan, Central Asia
Credit: NASA Earth Observatory
Author: ISS Expedition 25 crew
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No