The shallowing of the Volga River is fraught with dangerous environmental consequences. Experts interviewed warned about them “Izvestia”.
IN RusHydro company came to the conclusion that since 2008, a period of prevailing low-water years has begun in the Volga basin. Representatives of the organization assured that the observed water level in the river is low, but within standard limits.
According to the head of the Saratov branch of the Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, Anatoly Bogachev, due to a decrease in the water level in the Volga, reservoirs may freeze very much in the coming winter, which will significantly affect the upcoming spawning, including commercial species. “We could get a pretty serious fish kill. It is clear that it will coincide with spawning periods. We can already say that spawning in the spring will be ineffective,” he said.
Specialist of the Institute of Ecology National Research University Higher School of Economics Irina Telnova noted that during periods of low water, up to 80 percent of eggs can die – as a result, the number of fish is significantly reduced. She added that commercial fish stocks consist of several generations and if fishing does not decrease with the decline in numbers, significant damage will occur. At the same time, negative consequences will be observed throughout the food chain, since a decrease in the number of fish will threaten the survival of some animals and a number of birds that feed on them. In addition, the ecologist emphasized, a decrease in the volume of water in the Volga can lead to an increase in the concentration of harmful substances, an increase in the salinity of the Caspian Sea and algal blooms.
In conclusion, Telnova said that water quality affects not only the ecosystem, but also people, especially those who live in cities whose water intake is affiliated with the Volga. If the wear and tear of hydraulic structures leads to an accident, an environmental disaster will occur, she predicted.
Earlier in November Rosvodresursy came to the conclusionthat the loss of water level in the reservoirs of the Volga-Kama cascade is associated with a drop in the level of the Caspian Sea.
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