For the second consecutive year, the spring ecological spring freshet on the Nistru River will not be possible. The water level is too low and this is seriously affecting the natural spawning process of fish, especially those spawning on floodplain vegetation. Some species are already threatened with extinction, reports IPN with reference to Eco Presa.
According to experts, at this time of the year, the river should rise out of its headwaters and flood the riverbeds to provide favorable conditions for spawning. But low water levels, caused by the lack of rain in the Ukrainian Carpathians, make this impossible. Currently, the water flow in the Dniester is only 100 cubic meters per second, and low water temperature complicates spawning.
Ilia Trombitki, PhD in biological sciences and director of the international association Eco-TIRAS, explains that phytophilic fish - those that spawn on plants - need large, wet areas to reproduce. In the absence of ecological fish spawning, they "have nowhere to spawn and there is a risk of having no fish".
Ecological spawning is a measure to mimic the natural flow of the river, which is impaired by dams built for hydropower plants. To achieve it, it requires large accumulations of water in Ukraine's Dnestrovsk lake. But at the beginning of April, the water level in the reservoir was just 117.5 meters above sea level, well below the threshold of about 121 meters needed to trigger the flood.
Last year, the flood did not take place, at the request of Ukraine, which cited the need to use the water for power generation. This year, even if they wanted to, the reserves do not allow for an additional spill.
However, one fish species seems to be adapting to the current conditions: the Danube herring, which spawns directly in the water, has already been spotted in the Dniester. But for other species, the risks remain high.
Experts say it is crucial that the water level in the reservoir rises in the coming period so that both Moldova and Ukraine have sufficient water reserves in case of a dry summer.
