In Odesa Region, Lake Malyi Sasyk Has Nearly Dried Up for the First Time in 50 Years

The year 2025 has become critical for the Tuzly Lagoons. For the first time in half a century, Lake Malyi Sasyk, located near the recreational area "Rasseyka", has almost completely dried up. Its current depth is just a few centimeters.

According to the press service of the Tuzly Lagoons National Nature Park, several factors contributed to this alarming phenomenon:

• Low summer flow of the Danube, which failed to replenish the lagoon;
• Anthropogenic pressure, including the construction of a dam and illegal coastal development;
• Long-term wastewater discharges from recreational facilities, which accelerated siltation and reed overgrowth.

Until the 1980s, Malyi Sasyk was periodically fed with seawater. After the construction of the Danube–Dniester irrigation system, its hydrological balance became almost entirely dependent on freshwater inflows from the Danube.

Today, traces of otters, beavers, and migratory birds can still be found on the exposed mudflats. However, ecologists warn: without urgent restoration of water flows, the lagoons risk losing both their ecosystem value and touristic attractiveness.

 Comment by the Institute of Danube Research:

Vitaliy Barvinenko, Institute of Danube Studies:

The drying of Malyi Sasyk is a clear example of a broader water crisis that requires coordinated transboundary solutions. Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova should join forces under the EU Danube Strategy and ICPDR framework to ensure long-term restoration of the lagoon system. This is vital not only for biodiversity, but also for sustainable tourism and the socio-economic resilience of Southern Odesa region.