The duration and volume of the special spring release this year will be reduced compared to last year.
The regulation of the operating modes of the reservoirs of the Volga-Kama cascade was discussed in Rosvodresursy.
On April 22, a meeting of the Interdepartmental Working Group on regulating the modes of operation of reservoirs of the Volga-Kama Cascade was held via video conferencing. The meeting was organized by the Federal Agency for Water Resources. The focus is on the modes of special spring water supply to the Lower Volga.
Alexander Shadrikov, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan, took part in the meeting on behalf of the Republic of Tatarstan.
The meeting participants approved the operating modes of the reservoirs for the period from April 26 to May 10, 2025. As of April 22, the water level in the Kuibyshev reservoir was 52.61 m BS, according to the Upper Uslon hydroelectric station – 52.62 m BS.
The forecast of the Russian Hydrometeorological Service indicates a significantly low inflow of water into the reservoirs of the Volga-Kama Cascade in April and in the second quarter of 2025 (April – 53-77% of the norm, the second quarter – 53-69% of the norm). In this regard, the duration and volume of the special spring release this year will be reduced compared to last year.
According to the decisions taken, the special spring release will begin after the Kuibyshev reservoir reaches the normal retaining level, approximately after April 25. In the first decade of May, with maximum discharge costs (agricultural shelf) in the amount of 21,000 cubic meters/s, the water level in the Kuibyshev reservoir will decrease to levels approaching 51.5 m BS. After that, the reservoir will switch to stabilization and filling mode. It is expected that by mid-June 2025, the water level will reach the estimated mark of 52.5 m BS.