Lake Katlabukh, which supplies communities and agricultural enterprises in southern Odesa region, is on the verge of drying up. As of today, the reservoir is only 57% full, and experts predict that it will reach dead volume by July 1. This means a disruption of the hydrological regime, a significant deterioration in water quality, the loss of a water source for settlements in Izmail district, a reduction in biodiversity, and the collapse of the irrigation system and loss of crops on thousands of hectares.

The Water Users' Organization “Voda-Zhyttia” which brings together farms, utilities, local residents, and other water consumers in the Katlabukh Lake basin, appealed to the authorities on June 17, 2025, to urgently intervene in the emergency situation.

In a letter sent by the Voda-Zhyttia Organization to the Cabinet of Ministers, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, the Odesa Regional State Administration, and a number of other institutions, the community states:

"Lake Katlabukh in Izmail district of Odesa region is the only source of water supply for the settlements located on its shores. Water in the lake is used for domestic and agricultural needs. The population has no other source of water. The wells are already drying up."

Today, 15,000 local residents of settlements in Izmail district are at risk of being left without a water source, and more than 8,500 hectares of agricultural land are at risk of crop failure. Among them are 2,000 hectares of early grains and 6,000 hectares of corn, sunflowers, legumes, and vegetables. More than 30 farms are at risk, most of which are small and medium-sized enterprises and key employers in rural areas.

"According to the rules for operating the Katlabukh reservoir, after filling the reservoir to the normal backwater level (NBL) during the flood period, in summer period, with the help of the SZS pumping station (located under the control of the State Fisheries Agency), it is necessary to pump water in order to maintain the water level in the reservoir at the NBL mark," is explained in the letter.

However, this filling was not carried out this summer, which led to a crisis situation. The water users' organization requests that the forced filling of Lake Katlabukh be started as soon as possible.

“We emphasize that this problem is a systemic threat to the lives and well-being of tens of thousands of people. Without water, there is no future — neither in agricultural production, nor in everyday life, nor in ecology,” is concluded in the letter.

Unfortunately, the money to fill the lake has not yet been found, although the Law of Ukraine on the State Budget for 2025 allocates UAH 84 million to the State Fisheries Agency for the purchase of electricity to ensure the operation of pumping stations. At the same time, according to preliminary estimates, about UAH 43.4 million is needed to fill Lake Katlabukh.