DYNAMICS OF CHANNEL PROCESSES IN THE WATER INTAKE ZONE FROM THE AMUDARYA TO THE AMU-BUKHARA MACHINE CANAL

Abstract

The relevance of addressing the problem of monitoring and forecasting
channel processes lies in the fact that theoretical studies have not yet been
completed and require further development by integrating the hydraulic theory
of flows with the study of morphological features. This is especially true for
the Amudarya, which is one of the most turbid rivers in the world: year after
year, the riverbed becomes increasingly silted and elevated, leading to channel
deformation and negatively affecting the stable operation of hydraulic structures
located in the riverbed. This article investigates channel processes in the middle
course of the Amudarya using remote sensing data. For riverbed mapping, the
Google Earth Engine platform and Landsat satellite imagery were employed. The
dynamics of channel changes in the water intake zone from the Amudarya to the
Amu-Bukhara Machine Canal were analyzed. Long-term volumes of water intake
from the Amudarya to the Amu-Bukhara Machine Canal were also studied. Based
on the analysis of data over the past three years, it was found that the maximum
water intake occurred in June 2025. In the water intake zone of the Amu-Bukhara
Machine Canal, studies of riverbed relief and morphology were carried out across
selected cross-sections. The analysis revealed that deformations of the riverbed
in terms of depth and width occur rather rapidly. In the middle course of the
Amudarya, the flow velocity during bank erosion reached up to 2 m/s, with erosion
cycles ranging from 10 to 60 m, and depths between 5 and 10 m.