Water

The main water-ways in Bishkek are the Ala Archa and the Alamedin rivers. On the city territory they flow from the south to the north. By means of diurnal regulation reservoirs and a network of irrigation channels the river waters are used for the irrigation of the suburban farm lands and the city. At present there is water in the rivers^, channels in the city boundaries only in flood time.

            The irrigation system of Bishkek is characterised by a multibranch network of big and small channels running along the streets in all directions throughout the city. They irrigate green plantations, mitigate summer heat and add to the city’s peculiar look. The West Big Chu Channel, the East Big Chu Channel, the South Big Chu Channel run on the city territory. Their waters are partially used in industry and in the municipal economy. A certain microclimate is created by artificial water reservoirs and ponds which serve as recreation zones for citizens. North from the city there are the Nizhnealarchinskoye reservoir, artificial lakes Komsomolskoye and Pionerskoye, there are also swimming pools in sports centres and in hotels.    

The filtration of surface waters is one of the sources of ground water formation. In the northern part of the city ground water wedging out to the surface is observed, where along with drained areas there are over-damp areas in which processes of secondary salination and swamping are observed. The total area of water surface is over 40 sq km.

       

Soils 

The main zonal soil types in the city are northern typical (low-carbonate) sierozems which occupy the southern part of the city. They are formed on pale-yellow-brown gravelly and coarse-sand loams and at a depth of 20-100 cm they turn into boulder sediments. The prevailing colours of the soils profiles are pale-yellow-grey and brown, in cultivated soils – dark grey. Soils are often skeletal and stony, shallow and of medium depth, they contain 1.5-2.5% of humus, 0.10-0.18% of total nitrogen. Calcium prevails in the composition of absorbed bases (60 to 90% of the exchange capacity).

            Meadow-sierozem, meadow and meadow-boggy soils are widespread in the northern, lower part of the city. Meadow-sierozem soils have light grey colour of the humus horizon, a bluish grey shade of the illuvial horizon, and rusty-ochre spots in the lower horizon bordering on soil-forming rocks. They contain 1.3-3.5% of humus, 0.2-0.4% of total nitrogen, 0.2-0.3% of phosphorus, 2-2.5% of potassium. The absorption capacity is 12-15 mg-eqv per 100 g of soil. Calcium is prevailing in the composition of absorbed bases. Sierozem-meadow- soils are darker in colour, with a bluish grey shade, with ochre spots. There is about 3.6% of humus. Meadow soils are light and dark, with a blackish-brown or dark grey shade. The signs of gleying and swamping in the form of rusty-ochre and bluish-grey spots begin from depths of 60-80 cm. These soils contain 3.5-8.5% of humus, 0.20-0.40% of total nitrogen, 0.20-0.30% of phosphorus, up to 4% of potassium, 0.5-2.0% carbonates in upper horizons and 8-10% - in lower horizons. The absorption capacity is 15-30 mg-eqv per 100 g of soil. Meadow-boggy soils combine 2 processes: meadow and boggy. The most part of the profile is gleyified. The rusty-ochre spots contain up to 15% of humus.