site.btaDanube Water Level at Ruse Just 1 Cm above Record Low

On Tuesday, the River Danube at Ruse fell to just a centimetre above its record lowest level since records began 81 years ago, the city's hydrometeorological station told BTA.

The Executive Agency for Exploration and Maintenance of the Danube River reported the water level for August 23 at minus 72 cm from the reference zero point. The lowest water level ever measured at Ruse is minus 73 cm, recorded on September 8, 2003.

The level is expected to rise by 2 cm on Wednesday.

"Hundreds of ships and barges are waiting in the Bulgarian-Romanian section of the Danube because of the extremely low water levels," Ivan Zhekov, Director of the Russe River Monitoring Directorate of the Maritime Administration Executive Agency, told BTA.

Only low-draught vessels can navigate the waterway.

Shipping is impeded by the 20 shallows in the Bulgarian-Romanian section of the river.

Zhekov explained that now that dredging is underway of the fairway in the area of Belene Island, it will be navigable for ships of a draught of at least 1.7 m. Dredging is expected to continue near the Batin Island in the coming days.