The Impact of the Kakhovka Dam Destruction on the Water Temperature in the Lower Reaches of the Dnipro River and the Former Kakhovske Reservoir

Abstract

Abstract The results of the studies devoted to the consequences of the Kakhovka dam destruction and the empting of the Kakhovske reservoir are presented. The water regime of the lower reaches of the Dnipro River was studied, in particular, the water temperature. The remote sensing data on spatial features of water temperature are given. Significant changes in water temperature are shown both in the lower reaches of the Dnipro River and in the former Kakhovske reservoir. In the first days after the destruction of the dam, due to the mixing, the surface water temperature at the mouth of the Dnipro River dropped significantly. Then the water temperature in the lower reaches of the river approached to that one observed before the destruction. In turn, the former Kakhovske reservoir became a network of river branches and lakes that cannot be compared with the former reservoir. The Dniprovske Reservoir, located upstream, affects the water temperature of this territory, especially the largest branch.