This summer, the Danube River in the Bulgarian section reached critically low levels. Due to the low water level near Lom, islands have formed in the riverbed, and the water has retreated far from the protective dikes. In the last week alone, the level near Lom has dropped by more than half a meter, writes Nova TV.
Toni Yordanov is from Lom and monitors the river level almost every day.
„I'm here as long as I'm not at work. The level is much lower, even the beginning of June was much lower, but since there is no rain, it will be like that. It gets worse and worse every year“, he says.
The low waters also affect fishing, Lom fishermen say.
„There are mostly small fish, scum. However, the weather and the water level are not constant. Now the water comes, and after a day or two it drops. This absolutely affects“, says Emil Milanov.
Due to the shallows of the river, navigation has been difficult since July, and the ferry near Oryahovo stopped for several weeks.
“The characteristic thing this year is that the low waters of the Danube River occurred very early, already in July. So since July we have been in conditions of low shipping level, and this leads to a lower load on the ships, which take into account measured shallows on the river and of course a decrease in the efficiency of transportation“, reveals Eng. Toni Todorov - Director of “River Supervision“.
At Lom, the level of the Danube River this summer has fallen below 50 centimeters above sea level. A slight increase has been observed in the last week, but the forecast is for a new decrease.
“We expect a slow decrease in the next ten days. This will not lead to a drastic deterioration of the situation, but the trend is still downward. There is no danger to people, but everything is most likely related to the climate“, added Eng. Toni Todorov.
The locals also remember April 23, 2006, when the river reached 978 centimeters above sea level. And this summer, instead of water, there is a forest in the riverbed.