The Danube River has fallen to critically low levels along Bulgaria’s section, with the water gauge at Oryahovo showing minus 101 centimeters on August 11, according to data from the Executive Agency for Exploration and Maintenance of the Danube River. Silistra recorded minus 98 cm, while levels were minus 11 cm at Nikopol, minus 55 cm at Svishtov and minus 70 cm at Novo Selo.
More recent readings from automatic hydrometric stations showed similarly severe conditions. Over the previous six hours, levels reached minus 229 cm at Kozloduy, minus 217 cm at Baikal, minus 110 cm at Ruse and minus 314 cm at Ryahovo. Novo Selo was at minus 69 cm, Oryahovo at minus 100 cm, Nikopol at minus 14 cm, Svishtov at minus 53 cm and Silistra at minus 98 cm.
At Ruse, the river has dropped to 114 cm below the conventional zero mark, after falling another 3 cm over the previous 24 hours. Most gauges along the Bulgarian stretch recorded declines of between 1 and 3 cm, while the level at Oryahovo remained unchanged. All restrictions on vessels along the river remain in force.
The low water has significantly reduced the navigable channel. Authorities report restricted fairway dimensions between kilometer 374.10 and kilometer 610.00, with minimum depths of around or below 1.5 meters at several locations. Critical areas include Albina Island, Mishka Island, Vardim Island, Svishtov, Belene Island and Somovit. At Belene Island, the calculated minimum depth is 15 decimeters, or 1.5 meters.
