Minimal fluctuations in the level of the Danube River continue over the last 24 hours at individual water gauges.
This is shown by the data of the Executive Agency “Research and Maintenance of the Danube River“.
A 2-centimeter increase was recorded at Silistra. At Novo Selo, the level remained unchanged, and at the other water gauges a minimal decrease was registered – by 1-2 centimeters.
Against this background, a loaded self-propelled vessel got stuck yesterday in the area of an anchorage near Ruse. According to information from the “River Supervision“ Directorate The ship is outside the shipping lane and does not pose a danger to other traffic. There is also no danger of pollution, BGNES reported.
Restrictions on the entry of vessels along the entire Bulgarian section of the river remain in force.
The reason is the ongoing low water, which in recent months has created serious difficulties for navigation on the Danube. In critical sections, ships must move with less draft, which often means being loaded with less cargo or waiting for conditions to improve.
The areas around the islands of Belene, Vardim and Batin are particularly problematic, where shallows limit the possibilities for passage of deeper-drafting vessels. Already in the summer, low water levels led to the formation of rapids in the fairway and several cases of stranded ships.
The prolonged low water is mainly related to dry and hot weather and the lack of sufficient spring floodwater in the Danube catchment area. Low snowfall and insufficient rainfall in the Alpine region are among the factors that limited the flow of water to the river.