---
title: "Ukraine's rivers are drying up at an alarming rate: UkrGMs confirms worsening low-water conditions in August 2026"
description: "UkrGMs has published its assessment of Ukraine's river water levels for August 2026: low-water conditions intensified in a number of basins, and on the Stokhody River near Liubeshiv the runoff ceased entirely from 5 August."
date: 2026-09-03T09:00:11.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukraine-rivers-drying-up-ukrgmc-low-water-august-2026
tags: [ukraine, rivers, drought, hydrology, water-crisis, ecology, ukrhydromet]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Ukraine's rivers are drying up at an alarming rate: UkrGMs confirms worsening low-water conditions in August 2026

![Shallow river in Ukraine with a wide gravel bar during low water season, a person walking through the low water](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/03/reki-ukrainy-melayut-ukrgmc-malovodie-avgust-2026/reki-ukrainy-melayut-ukrgmc-malovodie-avgust-2026-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- UkrGMs recorded worsening low-water conditions on a number of Ukraine's rivers in August 2026
- On the Stokhody River near Liubeshiv, the runoff has been completely absent since 5 August — the flow has stopped
- Water levels at some cross-sections fell to 21–29% of the norm, approaching the criteria for a hydrological drought
- On many rivers the water level is below the average long-term value for the driest month of the year
- The backwater from the Dnipro–Ingulets canal and the Karachunivske reservoir is the only factor keeping water levels above the minimum in the lower reaches of the Dnipro

The Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center (UkrGMs) has published an operational assessment of the water levels of the country's main rivers for August 2026, which confirms an alarming trend: low-water conditions — a hydrological drought — not only persisted during the last month of summer but intensified in a number of river basins. The data were calculated at the cross-sections of operating hydrological stations in accordance with the Regulation on the Procedure for Assessing and Reporting Low-Water Conditions on Ukraine's Surface Water Bodies, which defines the primary and auxiliary criteria for recording the onset or threat of a hydrological drought.

### Hydrological drought: methodology and criteria

The assessment of the water levels of Ukraine's main rivers is carried out to determine the likelihood of low-water conditions — a state in which the volume of river runoff falls below the critical values needed to sustain ecosystems, supply the population with water, and keep water-dependent sectors of the economy functioning. UkrGMs uses two levels of criteria: a primary one, by which the low-water condition itself is recorded, and an auxiliary one, based on comparing the monthly water level with the average long-term value for the driest month of the year. It is precisely this methodology that allows specialists not merely to note a drop in water level but to classify the degree of threat for specific basins.

### August 2026: a spread from 379% to a complete loss of runoff

The published data show an extremely uneven picture across the country. At some cross-sections the average water level for August exceeded the norm by 1.5 to 3.8 times (149% and 379%), while in other basins the figures fell to 21–29% of the norm — that is, approached the formal criteria for low-water conditions. A significant share of rivers fell within the 31–49% of the norm range, which specialists describe as "well below the norm." By the primary assessment criterion, low-water conditions were observed during August and continued to intensify in a number of basins, while on the remaining rivers — whose hydrological regime affects the operation of water-dependent economic sectors and the water supply of the population — the monthly water level was below the average long-term value for the driest month of the year.

### Ecological flow: rivers below the critical threshold

Particular concern among experts is raised by the situation with ecological flow — the minimum volume of water needed to sustain the vital functions of a river's ecosystem. According to UkrGMs, a complex hydrological situation, associated with water levels being held below ecological-flow values, was observed in a number of basins. Specialists state outright that such a state is "critical for the functioning of river ecosystems," because a prolonged water deficit disrupts self-purification processes, destroys spawning grounds, and degrades riparian zones. The only factor that allowed certain rivers to keep their water levels above that of the driest month was the operation of the Dnipro–Ingulets canal and the Karachunivske reservoir, which provide backwater and regulate runoff in the lower reaches of the Dnipro.

### The Stokhody River: the flow has effectively stopped

The most dramatic case was recorded on a tributary of the Pripyat — the Stokhody River near the Liubeshiv station. From 5 August 2026, there has been no runoff at all on this stretch: the flow has effectively stopped, and the water has become stagnant. This means the river has ceased to perform its natural function of transporting water, oxygen, and nutrients, which for the local ecosystem is equivalent to the death of the water body. According to UkrGMs, a similar picture is typical for a number of small and medium-sized rivers in the context of a weak spring flood followed by a precipitation deficit.

### Context: from July's minimums to danger level III

The August assessment is not an isolated event. As early as July 2026, water-level indicators on a number of Ukrainian rivers were at a critical level against the backdrop of a weak spring flood and the subsequent weather conditions. At the end of August, in certain regions, danger level III — the highest on the hydrometeorological alert scale — was declared due to the further decline in water levels, which calls for emergency measures to regulate water use. Meanwhile, a number of the country's reservoirs are setting anti-records for the volume of water stored, creating a double burden: on the water supply for the population, on the energy sector, and on the ecological state of river ecosystems.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Ukraine's rivers are catastrophically drying up: where the water has "dropped" to drought and monthly minimums](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/richki-ukrayini-katastrofichno-miliyut-de-1788423969.html) - Источником является пересказ публикации пресс-службы УкрГМЦ в Facebook. Категории водности и методология подтверждены. Однако полные перечни конкретных рек по каждой процентной категории в переданном тексте отсутствуют (вероятно, были в таблицах/изображениях), что ограничивает возможность точной фактоверификации по каждому бассейну. Факт прекращения стока на Стоходе и работа канала Днепр–Ингулец подтверждены.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What is low-water (hydrological drought) and how is it distinguished from an ordinary drought?
**A:** Low-water (hydrological drought) is a state in which the volume of river runoff falls below the established criteria needed for the functioning of ecosystems and water supply. Unlike soil or atmospheric drought, low-water is assessed using data from hydrological stations and is recorded by UkrGMs according to the primary and auxiliary criteria set out in the Regulation on the Assessment of Low-Water Conditions.

### Q: What happened to the Stokhody River in August 2026?
**A:** From 5 August 2026, on the Pripyat tributary — the Stokhody River near the Liubeshiv station — there has been no runoff at all. The flow has effectively stopped and the water has become stagnant. This means the natural processes of transporting water and oxygen on this stretch of the river have ceased.

### Q: Why are water levels above the minimum in the lower reaches of the Dnipro?
**A:** According to UkrGMs, water levels above that of the driest month in the lower reaches of the Dnipro are maintained by the operation of the Dnipro–Ingulets canal and the Karachunivske reservoir, which create backwater and regulate the runoff.

### Q: What danger level was declared at the end of August 2026?
**A:** In certain regions of Ukraine, due to the further decline in water levels at the end of August 2026, danger level III was declared — the highest on the hydrometeorological alert scale, which calls for emergency measures to regulate water use.

### Q: What is a river's ecological flow and why is falling below it critical?
**A:** Ecological flow is the minimum volume of water needed to sustain the vital functions of a river ecosystem: self-purification, spawning processes, and the existence of riparian zones. When water levels are held below this threshold, the river ecosystem degrades, a state that UkrGMs characterizes as critical.