The southeastern Karakums occupy a vast area in the south-east of the Turkmen SSR. It is crossed from south to north by the Murghab River, whose water is fully utilized by the population in the valley and in the delta part, mainly for irrigation of cotton fields, orchards and vineyards. Yet thousands of hectares of the most fertile land in the Mary oasis were wasted due to water shortage until the Karakum canal was built.