Odesa region: The Kynets Lake is on the verge of drying up, and it is being filled with water from the Danube.
In the Izmail district of Odesa region, the water level in the Kiny Lake has dropped 19 cm below the dead volume, so October 6 began its forced filling from the Danube through the Kofa canal. The works are planned to be completed by the end of the year; about 11 thousand residents of nearby villages depend on this lake for drinking water. The situation remains critical at the Yalpug Lake, which supplies drinking water to Boldgrad.
In the Izmail district of the Odesa region, the Kiny Lake is on the verge of drying up: the water level in it is already 19 centimeters lower than the so-called "dead volume." On October 6, the Izmail district state administration reported that the lake is being forcibly filled with water from the Danube River through the Kofa canal using pumps. The works are planned to be carried out until the end of the year; the lake was last filled in 2022.
Lake Khaytai is a freshwater body that is essential to the local ecosystem and the economic activities of the residents of the surrounding villages, where approximately 11 people live. These villages include Saf'yanivka, Kiliivka, and Katlabuzh; the villages of Komyshivka, Muravlivka, Vasylivka, Chervony Yar, Stari Troyani, Furmanivka, Novoselivka, and Pryozerne are located on the shores of the lake. The water level in the lake also affects the groundwater, which local residents use for various purposes.
The local administration hopes that the increased supply of fresh water will raise the level of the lake and reduce mineralization, which will improve conditions for the aquatic ecosystem and the recovery of fish populations. At the same time, experts have checked the filling of the Kettalubug lake: its level is only 5 centimeters higher than the dead volume, and work to replenish it is ongoing.
The most difficult situation is at Yalpug Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake in Ukraine, which provides drinking water to Bolgrad and surrounding villages. Due to the rapid decline in water levels, the quality of the water has deteriorated significantly: the water has become murkier and more mineralized, and residents are complaining about an unpleasant odor coming from the tap. The water intake is operating under extreme conditions. The natural flow of the Yalpug river from the Danube through a system of canals and locks is currently impossible due to the record low water levels in the river: according to the Danube Hydrometeorological Observatory, the water level in the Danube at the end of September fell to 22 cm above zero relative to the long-term norm of 100–150 cm.