Environmental monitoring of Lake Baikal

Water level of Lake Baikal

Monthly average water level in Lake Baikal over the period 2008 – 2018, m

In connection with the extremely low-water period which began in 2014 and continued in subsequent years, Government of the Russian Federation adopted resolutions of February 04, 2015 No. 97 “On the limiting values of water level in Lake Baikal when running economic and other activity in autumn-winter period 2014/15” and No. 626 dated July 1, 2016 “On maximum and minimum values of water level in Lake Baikal in 2016-2017”, that have determined the limiting values of water level in Lake Baikal under the conditions of different water content:

- maximum and minimum water level values in Lake Baikal during the average-water period at 457 and 456 metres respectively;

- minimum water level value in Lake Baikal during the low-water period (low-flow period) at 455.54 metres (In the Pacific heights system);

- maximum water level value in Lake Baikal during the high-water period (high-flow period) at the level of 457.85 metres according to the Pacific system.

In 2018, generally unfavourable conditions developed for the regulation of the Lake Baikal water level by the useful inflow, and therefore the filling of the lake was extremely low.

To provide domestic water supply in the downstream of the Irkutsk Hydroelectric Power Station in early 2018, an additional volume of water resources of Lake Baikal below 456.0 m (Pacific system of heights) mark (drawdown up to 455.90 m (Pacific system of heights) mark) was used. The limit values of level determined by Decree of Government of the Russian Federation dated December 27, 2017 No. 1667 "On maximum and minimum values of water level in Lake Baikal in 2018-2020» have not been reached.