Donauinseln: October 2015

10 October 2015

Extreme low water on the Danube 2015

MAGYARUL

This year's hot summer combined with lack of precipitation have brought extreme low water levels on the Danube river. The blog asked its readers to send pictures if they found something interesting emerging from the riverbed, or they only find the landscape different from the usual. It looks like the low water will last well into autumn and with the drained catchment area we have to prepare for even lower water levels.

Lowest water level measured at Budapest in 2015.

According to the summer forecasts the level of the Danube was far from the lowest value ever measured, but we advised not to leave our camera at home. During September and October the water level fell steadily to the value of 63 cm at Budapest which is only 12 cm above the lowest.

But why are we interested in shallow water? - usually the floods draw more public attention. In times of low water Danubian depths reveals itself. Sand and gravel bars, holes in the riverbed, dykes etc. But while walking on the riverbanks you might find wrecks of ships, artifacts sunk long ago. The diving archaeologists are happy, they can work without their work-clothes. Europe's largest river shows us a different perspective, rather a desert than a river.

There are also those who are not quite happy with low water. For example those shipmen who can not work for weeks in this situation. Or the environmentalists who are unable to help when they see tons of dying fish and shell in the drying river arms.

So far the lowest value in Budapest ha been observed in 1947, 6th of November. This was 51 cm. At the Vác gauging station it was -45 cm on the 29th of August. This is not a typo, the water level can go below the lowest point of the gauging station, then they have to extend it downwards. Unfortunately this is not a rare occurrence.

If you happen to wander the banks of the Danube, do not forget to take pictures of the most interesting sights, and please send them (with the place, time and date) to our email address of facebook site.

These are the received pictures so far (from earliest to latest):

Jendricsné Vörös Dóra: Riverbank at Kisoroszi, 2015.07.17. 18:30 Budapest water level: 160 cm

Kurdi Imre: Felsőgöd beach. 2015.07.19. Budapest water level: 147 cm

Zirig Árpád: Mouth of the Morgó creek, Verőce 2015.07.22. 20:00 Budapest water level: 138 cm

Horváth Tibor: Alsógöd, volcanic tuff breaking the water. 2015.07.23. 22:30 Budapest water level: 139 cm

Riverbank beneath the stone wall in Verőce. 2015.07.25. 17:00. Budapest water level: 139 cm

Riverbank beneath the stone wall in Verőce. 2015.07.25. 17:00 Budapest water level: 139 cm

Horváth Tibor: Alsógöd, volcanic tuff breaking the water. 2015.07.26. 9:40 PM. Budapest water level: 137 cm

Szilágyi Csilla: Inn, Duna, Ilz - Passau: 2015.07.26.

Cigány sandbank, Mohács

Kurdi Imre: Sződliget 2015.07.28. Budapest water level: 135 cm

Kurdi Imre: Sződliget, mouth of the Sződi creek. 2015.07.28. Budapest water level: 135 cm

Alsógöd beach, 2015 08.01. 9:00 Budapest water level: 139 cm

Oligocene clay in Alsógöd

Dunakeszi ferry 2015.08.01. 9:30 Budapest water level: 139 cm

Mouth of the Csurgó creek in Dunakeszi. 2015.08.01. 9:30 Budapest water level: 139 cm

Gödi Island, dam. 2015.08.01. 15:30 Budapest water level: 147 cm

Gödi Island northern side 2015.08.01. 15:30 Budapest water level: 147 cm

Kovács Miklós: Kacsa Island, Pócsmegyer 2015.08.05. Budapest water level: 145 cm

Kovács Miklós: Római-part, Budapest 2015.08.05. Budapest water level: 145 cm

Kovács Miklós: Inlet of the Palotai Island in Budapest 2015.08.05. Budapest water level: 145 cm

Wirker Károly: Süttő, Sandbanks near Madár Island 2015.08.11.

Sziget festival, Óbudai Island northern side 2015.08.13.

Schmidt Ádám József: Mouth of the Ördögárok in Budapest 2015.08.13. 10-11 AM Budapest water level: 107 cm

Vessző Katalin: Római part, Budapest 2015.08.14. morning. Budapest water level: 113 cm

Vessző Katalin: Gravel bar at Szentendre 2015.08.14. afternoon. Budapest water level: 114 cm

Kürti Gábor Dezső: Helembai gravel bar 2015.08.15. Budapest water level: 109 cm (Szob: w. l. -17 cm)

Tarr Dominik: Kis-Háros Island, Nagytétény 2015.08.16. 2-3 PM Budapest water level: 98 cm

Becz Miklós: Dunaszekcső, riverbank full of loess cemented by calcium carbonate

Bucsek Tamás: Vác, 2015.09.20. evening. Budapest water level: 95 cm

Horváth Tibor: Sand bar below the Megyeri bridge. 2015.09.22. Budapest water level: 76 cm

Horváth Tibor: Alsógöd, the volcanic tuff outcrops in the Danube. 2015.09.22. Budapest water level: 76 cm

Sand bar of the Szentendrei Island, 2015.10.04. Budapest water level: 72 cm

The Szobi and Helembai gravel bar, behind them the Helemba Island. 2015.10.05. Budapest water level: 67 cm

05 October 2015

Qualifying round of the "Danubian Island of the year 2015" voting

MAGYARUL

We have fourteen nominated island this year for the qualifying rounds, four more than last year. So there will be a great variety of Danubian islands to select your favourite from. You might find the second and third island from last year's finalists, and what's more, there is the winner on the below picture altogether with a new nominee. Also, we have an island outside Hungary, the famous Liberland.
Last year we had a sum of 436 votes in the qualifying rounds, this year we hope there will be more. Remember, only the first two island qualifies into the finals. There will be anothre island added by the Donauinslen blog. This voting ends midnight, October 12th 2015. The finals will begin next evening!