The Danube River continues to recede in its Bulgarian section, leaving boats hundreds of meters from the water near Vidin. The low levels have been making navigation difficult for months, and locals say they don't remember the river looking so shallow.
At a place near the Vidin village of Koshava, the water has receded so much that boats are now about 200 meters from the shore, a report by bTV Novinite shows. Bare areas that were previously under water are now visible, and the island opposite has begun to grow willows.
Local fisherman Rumen Stoyanov tells bTV that he has been watching the river since he was a child and does not remember the Danube being so low. According to him, the terrain, which is now dry, was until recently completely covered with water.
Slight rise, but levels remain negative
Data from hydrometric stations show a slight rise in the upper part of the Bulgarian section of the river - near Novo Selo, Vidin and Lom. In just two days, a rise of about 20 centimeters was recorded near Vidin, and there was also a rise near Kozloduy and Oryahovo.
Nevertheless, the values along the entire Bulgarian river basin remain negative, and the low level continues to hinder shipping and affect fishermen. The latest data from the Executive Agency for the Study and Maintenance of the Danube River are also expected, which should show whether the downward trend is continuing.
Earlier, BTA reported that the water level at Novo Selo was minus 75 centimeters, and at Lom - minus 28 centimeters, with slight increases recorded there over the past 24 hours. The agency also indicated that fluctuations were recorded in a large part of the Bulgarian section of the river at the end of August and the beginning of September, but the water levels remain low for the season.
Sources: bTV Novinite, BTA, Executive Agency for the Study and Maintenance of the Danube River