A scientist explained why the bottom of the Kakhovka Sea did not turn into a desert after the hydroelectric power plant was blown up

After the Russians destroyed the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, the bottom of the reservoir could have turned into a dry wasteland, but that did not happen. On the contrary, the area began to be overgrown with vegetation quite quickly. The timing of the disaster played a key role in this.

Ivan Moysienko, head of the Department of Botany at Kherson State University, Doctor of Biological Sciences, and professor, explained this in a comment to Intent.

According to the scientist, if the reservoir had emptied, for example, in the winter, the situation could have been completely different. An important factor was that the disaster occurred in June—precisely during the period when plants are actively dispersing seeds.

“The disaster occurred at a time when there was a maximum number of seeds ready to germinate,” explained Moisienko.

He noted that plants typically reach their peak flowering stage in May and their peak fruiting stage in June. Therefore, by the time the water level dropped, a significant number of seeds had already formed and were ready to fall into the soil.

If the water had receded in February, there would have been far fewer seeds available to quickly repopulate the exposed riverbed.

“There would have been nothing to sow,” the scientist noted.

However, the mere presence of seeds was not enough. Moisture was a key factor. According to Moiseenko, it is precisely the lack of water that is usually one of the main factors limiting plant growth.

After the water receded, the riverbed remained sufficiently moist for some time. This created conditions for seed germination precisely when there was an abundance of sunlight and warmth.

“Plenty of light, plenty of heat, plenty of nutrients, sufficient moisture, and a large number of seeds ready to germinate”—this is how the scientist described the conditions that emerged after the disaster.

Ultimately, the rapid recovery of vegetation on the bottom of the Kakhovka Reservoir was the result of a combination of several natural factors. The water receded during the warm season, when the plants had already produced a large number of seeds, and the exposed soil had not yet had time to dry out.

It was precisely this combination of seeds, moisture, heat, light, and nutrients that allowed vegetation to quickly take over the area that until recently had been the bottom of the reservoir.

As is well known, Russian troops blew up the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant on June 6, 2023, at approximately 2:50 a.m. This explosion destroyed the dam and the powerhouse, causing an uncontrolled release of water, widespread flooding of settlements in southern Ukraine, and a severe environmental disaster.

Ірина Глухова