• Hydro-electric plant to be shut off during competition to control water flow to course
• Wind sometimes blows waves in opposite direction to river flow
• "Lawn mower for the river" being used to control weeds

Baku 2015 Press release- Preparations for the 1km long canoe sprint competition course along a picturesque stretch of the Kur River started 18 months ago. But controlling the flow of water from the hydro electric power plant at the Mingachevir Dam to the Caspian Sea has proved to be a major challenge for race organisers.

"You can increase or decrease the speed of water and even stop the flow by opening and closing the dam," said Natig ABBASOV (AZE), the director of the Kur Sport and Rowing Centre in Mingachevir, which will host the three days of Baku 2015 events from 14 June.

"For the competition we asked the company responsible for the power plant to open and close the gate according to the time we need for competition. [So] they will stop the water between 04:30 and 19:00," says ABBASOV, who is also vice-president of the Azerbaijan National Canoeing Federation.

To the untrained eye the Kur River not only appears to run from the reservoir behind the dam towards the Caspian Sea 300km to the east, but sometimes also in the opposite direction.

But looks can be deceiving, as ABBASOV explained: "A river can never flow in two directions. This one flows from the reservoir to the Caspian Sea. But sometimes the wind creates waves in the opposite direction."

But the flow of water is not the only problem facing the race organisers. Clearing the many weeds from the Kur is a specialist's job done with what ABBASOV describes as a "lawn mower for the river".

"We have been cutting the weeds for the last four weeks, along the full width of the river for 200 metres before the start line and 200 metres after the finish," says Namig SANIYEV, a mechanic at the Kur Sport and Rowing Centre.

A specialist came from Sweden and spent three days training him on how to use the Swedish-built 144,990 AZN (€120,000) machine. It cuts all plants including thick rushes down to a maximum depth of 1.4m, and in a 3m radius. 

"We can't stop cutting, especially when it's very hot as these plants grow fast and are impossible to stop, so we need to work every day. Only rain and nothing else can stop the machine."

Event website: www.baku2015.com

Venue Facts

• The sport of Canoe Sprint will feature 3 days of competition starting from June 14
• With 15 medals up for grabs, the Canoe Sprint competition will feature 350 athletes
• A 274 seating capacity and 1000 standing capacity on days of competition

Download Spectator Venue Guide