Fierza below 275 meters / Hydropower reserves shrink, rainfall is lacking and high temperatures continue

Over the past week, the water level recorded another significant decline. Fierza’s maximum level is around 296 meters, while the lack of rainfall during July and August has sharply reduced the inflows feeding the lake.

In the northeast of the country, rainfall has been almost nonexistent during these two months.

The White Drin, which rises in the mountains of Peja, and the Black Drin, which comes from the area of St. Naum, are reaching Kukës with an average of less than 70 cubic meters of water per second.

But the difference becomes even clearer when these inflows are compared with the amount of water that can be used to generate electricity.

Just one of Fierza’s four turbines can discharge at least 112 cubic meters of water per second.

When all four turbines operate simultaneously, the discharge reaches around 450 cubic meters of water per second. Therefore, the amount of water reaching the lake is significantly lower than the hydropower plant’s discharge capacity.

A balance that shows the pressure on Fierza’s hydropower reserves. Without significant rainfall and with the need to generate electricity, the lake’s level remains an important indicator of the hydrological situation in the north of the country.