site.btaWater Being Released from Key Reservoirs as Heavy Rain and Snow Bring Them Near Capacity - Minister Hristanov

Water is being released from key reservoirs as many of them are nearing capacity due to heavy snowfall and rainfall, caretaker Minister of Agriculture and Food Ivan Hristanov said, as quoted by his ministry’s press office on Saturday. Hristanov inspected the condition of the Topolnitsa and Trakiets reservoirs in the regions of Plovdiv and Haskovo.

The first site visited by the minister was Topolnitsa Reservoir. According to Irrigation Systems EAD, the facility was built on the Topolnitsa River in the 1950s and commissioned in 1962, primarily for irrigation, though it is also used for electricity generation. After three consecutive dry years, the reservoir recorded its lowest levels in the past decade in 2025. It is currently over 90% full, which suggests that a normal irrigation season can be expected, Minister Hristanov was assured.

The reservoir is in good technical condition, with the most recent inspection by the State Agency for Metrological and Technical Surveillance conducted at the end of January this year, Irrigation Systems reported.

The second site inspected was Trakiets Reservoir, built on the Harmanliyska River. Its main purpose is to irrigate nearly 15,000 hectares of farmland. It has been in operation since 1967, but due to damage to the guide mechanisms — including warping and jamming — the outlet does not function, and the reservoir has not yet received the final commissioning certificate.

In 2016, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food commissioned the preparation of a working design for repairs, and the site was proposed for inclusion in the ministry’s capital investment programme. However, the necessary budget funding was not secured and the repairs were not carried out, Hristanov said.

Subsequently, urgent repair and reconstruction works were commissioned for four publicly owned state reservoirs under the management of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and operated by Irrigation Systems EAD, one of which is Trakiets Reservoir, the minister added.

The ministry said that Irrigation Systems EAD had no information about any actions taken to carry out repair and restoration works on these reservoirs.