'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOLUME I' [‎380r] (784/820)

It appears that when the boundary was demarcated in 1882 the Atrak
flowed in the southern bed, and the northern bed was dry, as entered in
the frontier map, sheet No. 1, where it is shown as disconnected both
with the Atrak and the Caspian.
The southern bed of the river at that time, from what I can gather,
was one huge swamp, as the actual channel of the river was far too small
to carry off the whole volume of the water, and the ground to the south
of it was largely inundated.
About the year 1892 the Russians are said to have dug a channel
connecting the northern with the southern bed, and to have constructed
a dam across the latter at Gudri (S. W. A., sheet No. 84), and by these means
to have turned the whole of the water of the river, except when in flood,
round to the north of the rise, marked Hauteurs Ghondr-i-Tepe on the
frontier map (sheet No. 11 ), into the northern channel. On the con
struction of the Russian dam and the diversion of the water into the
northern channel the swamp dried up.
The inundation of the land south-west of the Atrak river by the river
water overrunning its banks, and thus gradual
ly finding its way down to the sea, may account
for the saltness of the soil. The whole coun
try is now one vast waste, but the grazing must
be excellent in summer.
The water of the Atrak is said to have decreased in volume considerably
of late years, and in summer there is very little water in the southern bed,
which may be the cause of its extra saltness.
On account of the saltness of the soil, land on the southern bank of the
Atrak river is said to be unfit for cultivation.
It can be cultivated once, but never a second time, and rain crops like
those on the Gurgan are an impossibility under any circumstances. All
cultivation, wherever it is, north or south of the river, must be irrigated,
and former reports regarding the fertility of the soil on the Atrak were ap
parently wrong.
The Ak Atek Bais and others on the northern bank cultivate what land
they can every year by canals drawn from
the Atrak, and owing to the heat of the climate
the crops, as a rule, are nearly ripe before
Land south of the Atrak un
fit for cultivation on account
of its saltness.
Cultivation on northern banks
of the Atrak.
the spring floods cease.
Water of lower Atrak too
salty for use either for drinking
or irrigation in summer.
Yamuts on the Atrak, though
Chumur, arc more graziers than
cultivators.
Grazing best
Atrak in winter.
to north of
After that they say the river water gets
too salty for use, either for drinking or for
irrigation, and during the summer they get
their water from wells.
The people, however, seem to be more
graziers than cultivators, even although they
are Chumur.
In the winter the grazing is best to the
north, and the Persian Ateh Bais take their cattle
there to graze.