In Search of a Forgotten Water Source: Kırkgöz Catchment

Abstract

Atatürk Forestry Farm was established in 1925. Various water sources inside the farm area were established for irrigation and the needs for different facilities. For the water needs of the Marmara and Karadeniz pools within the farm, a 15 kilometer water transmission line was constructed from Kırkgöz Catchment between 1935 and 1936. The catchment area is currently located in the Alacaatlı neighbourhood of Çankaya. The water source was then assigned to the Ankara Beer Factory. In 1939, the water source became the property of TEKEL. In 2010, with the privatization of TEKEL, Kırkgöz Catchment was sold to a joint venture. Although the water source still remains, the presence of at least half of the transmission line is questionable. In this paper, historic documents and recent on-site findings related to this forgotten water source, Kırkgöz Catchment, have been compiled. In addition, an attempt is made to estimate the route of the 15 kilometer transmission line. In the conclusion, whether or not this historically important groundwater source can be considered a part of today's Ankara is discussed.

Keywords

• atatürk forestry farm
• ankara beer factory
• tekel
• catchment
• water source
• journal of municipal works
• kırkgöz catchment
• ankara