The Crisis of Malyy Sasik Lagoon in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi District
The Malyy Sasik lagoon in the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi district is facing a significant decrease in water levels. This year marks a critical moment for the Tuzlivskyi lagoons, as reported by ecologist Ivan Rusev on Facebook.
“For the first time in 50 years of my observations, the Malyy Sasik lagoon, located near the recreation area 'Raseyka', has nearly dried up. Its depth has now shrunk to just a few centimeters. Meanwhile, the sludge layer has significantly increased, especially in front of the recreation bases where sewage has been illegally discharged for years. The construction of a dam has also disrupted natural water exchange in the lagoon, along with illegal construction along the protective shoreline. These anthropogenic factors have led to the overgrowth of reeds along its banks,” the scientist noted.
The ecologist pointed out that before the establishment of the Danube-Dniester irrigation system in the 1980s, the Malyy Sasik lagoon was nourished by sea water. Since the late 1980s, the water mainly came from the Danube. This summer, due to extremely low river flow, almost no water reached the Velykyi Sasik and then into the Zhantshaysky lagoon, followed by the Malyy Sasik lagoon, resulting in a crisis.
Ivan Rusev also shared photos of the current state of the Malyy Sasik lagoon. The images show tracks of river otters that used to thrive here, now struggling to find food by traveling long distances. Numerous bird tracks, particularly of shorebirds, have also been observed migrating through the National Nature Park 'Tuzlivski Lagoons'.
“The Malyy Sasik lagoon has been in a crisis state for decades, and soon these once unique water bodies may dry up and lose their recreational appeal,” warns the scientist.
