About 400 plant species have already been discovered at the bottom of the Kakhovka Reservoir
Scientists have recorded at least 400 plant species in the area of the former Kakhovka Reservoir. As recently as 2025, there were 343 species, but during new expeditions, researchers continue to discover species previously unknown to this region.
Ivan Moysienko, Ph.D. in Biology, professor, and research fellow at the “Askania-Nova” Biosphere Reserve, spoke about this in an interview with Ukrinform.
According to him, vegetation on the former reservoir bed is actively developing. In particular, willows continue to grow rapidly: while last year the tallest tree measured was 7 meters 8 centimeters, this year the record stood at exactly 9 meters.
“This means that the willow is growing at a rate of 3 meters per year,” Moisienko noted.
During their most recent expedition in September 2026, researchers also discovered a significant number of long-spined centhrus—a quarantine plant species. In addition, on the sandy areas of Khortytsia, scientists observed Gmelin’s flowering ragweed, whose seeds had spread into the territory of the former reservoir.
In addition to plants, the expeditions also allow researchers to document rare animals. This time, the researchers managed to film a yellow-bellied snake, which is listed in Ukraine’s Red Book.
Source: Ukrinform
Mykola Lukashuk, chairman of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council, stated that once the war ends, Ukraine must restore the Kakhovka Dam and reservoir. According to him, Nikopol and the Nikopol district critically need water for the operation of industrial enterprises, factories, and the irrigation of agricultural land, and the lack of this resource leads to the deindustrialization of the region, which plays into the enemy’s hands.
At the site of the former Kakhovka Reservoir, Ukrainian scientists are observing a unique natural process—the formation of a large floodplain forest. According to researchers’ estimates, a phenomenon like this is not currently observed anywhere else in the world.
