Canal ‘Mizhkolhospnyi’ Clearance Works Start in Odesa Region

On August 4, 2025, preparatory works began to clear the ‘Mizhkolhospnyi’ Canal in order to restore its capacity. The works are being carried out by the Kiliya Interdistrict Water Management Department using a bulldozer to prepare sites for excavator operations and soil storage areas.

At the end of July, depth measurements were taken using an echo sounder, and the canal’s banks were surveyed to plan silt deposition maps. In early August, preparatory measures and dredging operations commenced, including underwater soil excavation with an EO-411 excavator.

According to the Kiliya IWMD, clearing the canal of silt and reeds will significantly increase its capacity, enabling pumping stations to operate at full power.

Background: The ‘Mizhkolhospnyi’ Canal supplies Danube water to the irrigation systems of the Kiliya rice and Tatarbunary districts, supports water exchange in the Stentsivka-Zhebriyanivka floodplains, and replenishes a cascade of reservoirs: Koziiske, Dmytrivske, Nerushayske, Drakulivske, and Kagachske. Its total length is 6,960 meters.

DRI Comment:
"The Danube Research Institute welcomes the start of works to clear the ‘Mizhkolhospnyi’ Canal, which is an important element of the water management infrastructure of the Danube region of Ukraine. Restoring its capacity will contribute to the efficient irrigation of agricultural lands, the stable water supply of ecosystems and settlements, and ensure proper water exchange in valuable natural complexes, including the Stentsivka-Zhebriyanivka floodplains. This is an example of how the modernization of hydraulic structures can be combined with the goals of sustainable regional development."