---
title: "UkrHMC: Water levels in a number of Ukrainian rivers dropped below ecological flow — ecosystems under threat"
description: "UkrHMC recorded water levels below ecological flow in the first half of October 2026 on most rivers in Ukraine. The tributaries of the Middle Dnieper continue to experience dry riverbeds, and some water bodies show a complete absence of flow."
date: 2026-10-21T08:28:47.455Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukrhmc-water-deficit-ukraine-rivers-october-2026
tags: [ukraine, water-crisis, hydrology, ecosystem, drought, ukrgmc, rivers]
author: "Alexander Buran"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# UkrHMC: Water levels in a number of Ukrainian rivers dropped below ecological flow — ecosystems under threat

![Man in a jacket looks at a shallow river with muddy banks under a cloudy sky](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/21/ukrgmc-defitsit-vody-reki-ukrainy-oktyabr-2026/ukrgmc-defitsit-vody-reki-ukrainy-oktyabr-2026-1.webp)

## Key Points

- During the first 15 days of October 2026, water content on most Ukrainian rivers was below the long-term average of the lowest-water month of the year
- The only river with above-normal water content is the Inhulets (Kryvyi Rih station) at 423%
- The tributaries of the Middle Dnieper (Sribnianka, Stuhna) continue to experience dry riverbeds
- Some rivers recorded a complete absence of flow over the 15-day period
- Water content below ecological flow is recognized as critical for the functioning of river ecosystems

In the first half of October 2026, the hydrological situation on most rivers in Ukraine remained tense. According to the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center, on a significant part of the country's water bodies, water levels dropped below the values necessary for the normal functioning of river ecosystems. In certain places, a complete absence of flow was recorded, while the tributaries of the Middle Dnieper — the Sribnianka and Stuhna rivers — continue to experience dry riverbeds. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to a publication by the UkrHMC press service.

### How water content is assessed: methodology and criteria

Regular and prompt assessment of the water content of Ukraine's main rivers is carried out based on a special Regulation on the procedure for assessing and informing about low water (hydrological drought) on land water bodies. UkrHMC experts analyze average water discharges over a specific period and compare them with regulatory values. The regulation establishes clear criteria for the onset or threat of low water, including both main and auxiliary indicators. The auxiliary criterion involves comparing monthly water content with the long-term average water content of the lowest-water month of the year. Calculations for the first 15 days of October 2026 were carried out precisely according to this methodology.

### The only "plus": Inhulets at 423% of normal

Of all the large rivers of Ukraine included in the monitoring, water content above the long-term average was recorded only on the Inhulets River (Kryvyi Rih station) at 423% of normal. This is an isolated case that does not change the overall picture: on other water bodies, whose hydrological regime affects the operation of water-dependent economic sectors and public water supply, monthly water content turned out to be lower than the long-term average value of the lowest-water month of the year. According to the main assessment criterion, low water was not only observed at the beginning of October but also intensified on a number of rivers.

### Critical levels: from 23% to complete drying

Significantly below normal — in the range of 30–49% of the long-term average value — water content in the first half of October was recorded on several large rivers. Water content close to the formal criteria of low water (23–27%) was found on an even broader list of water bodies. On some rivers, no flow was recorded at all over the entire 15-day period. On the tributaries of the Middle Dnieper — the Sribnianka and Stuhna rivers — the drying of riverbeds persists, which, according to specialists, is the most severe hydrological regime.

### Ecological flow exceeded: what this means for ecosystems

The most alarming indicator, according to UkrHMC experts, is the maintenance of water content below ecological flow values. A complex hydrological situation, where the water level does not provide the minimum ecological flow, has been recorded on a significant part of the monitored rivers. Specialists emphasize that such a condition is "critical for the functioning of river ecosystems": with a prolonged absence of sufficient flow, conditions for the life of aquatic organisms are disrupted, coastal zones degrade, and the river's self-purification capacity decreases. If such a regime persists until the end of October and beyond, the consequences for river ecosystems may become irreversible on a seasonal scale.

### Context: climate, infrastructure, and winter risks

The situation with water scarcity in Ukraine is being discussed against the backdrop of ongoing debates about the impact of global climate change on the hydrological regime. Earlier, UkrHMC and the State Water Agency explained that the disappearance of water in rivers and wells is caused not only by climatic factors but also by anthropogenic impact — including irrational water use and infrastructure wear and tear. In parallel, public warnings are being voiced about potential water supply problems for major cities in winter, including Kyiv. NAS experts have already joined programs for the restoration and cleaning of urban water bodies. Thus, the UkrHMC data for the first half of October 2026 record not a one-time weather phenomenon, but a steady trend requiring a systematic response at the level of state water policy.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Дефицит воды и пересыхание: в УкрГМЦ оценили состояние украинских рек в октябре](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/defitsit-vodi-ta-peresihannya-ukrgmts-otsinili-1792569019.html) - Primary source: UkrHMC press service publication on Facebook, reprinted by RBC-Ukraine. Confirms: Inhulets water content 423%, categories 30-49% and 23-27%, drying of Sribnianka and Stuhna, absence of flow for 15 days, criticality for ecosystems. Assessment methodology according to the Low Water Regulation.

## FAQ

### Which river in Ukraine showed above-normal water content in the first half of October 2026?

The only river with water content above the long-term average was the Inhulets (Kryvyi Rih station) at 423% of normal. On all other monitored rivers, water content was below normal.

### What is ecological flow and why is exceeding it dangerous?

Ecological flow is the minimum volume of water necessary to maintain the life of aquatic organisms and the normal functioning of the river ecosystem. When actual water content drops below this value, conditions for fish and invertebrates are disrupted, coastal zones degrade, and the river's self-purification capacity decreases. UkrHMC characterizes this situation as critical for ecosystems.

### On which rivers has riverbed drying been recorded?

According to UkrHMC, in the first half of October 2026, the drying of riverbeds persisted on the tributaries of the Middle Dnieper — the Sribnianka and Stuhna rivers. On some other water bodies, no flow was recorded at all during the 15-day period.

### What methodology does UkrHMC use to assess low water?

The assessment is carried out based on the Regulation on the procedure for assessing and informing about low water (hydrological drought) on land water bodies of Ukraine. Experts analyze average water discharges over a period and compare them with regulatory values. They use the main criterion (onset or threat of low water) and the auxiliary criterion — comparing monthly water content with the long-term average of the lowest-water month of the year.