Cuciurgan Reservoir, reservoir in Moldova
The Cuciurgan Reservoir is a water body on the Kuchurhan River, sitting on the border between Ukraine and Moldova in Odesa Oblast. A dam to the north holds back the water, and the reservoir runs for several kilometers through a broad, flat valley before narrowing toward its southern end.
The reservoir was created in the Soviet period when the Kuchurhan River was dammed to supply water for power generation in the region. Before the dam was built, a natural shallow lake system already existed in the southern part of the valley and was absorbed into the new body of water.
The reservoir is listed as an Important Bird Area, and visitors walking along the shore can spot ducks, herons, and cormorants without any special equipment. The shallow southern end tends to attract the greatest variety of waterbirds, especially during spring and autumn migration.
The reservoir can be reached by road from surrounding towns, and the shoreline is easy to walk along without following a marked trail. There are no facilities on site, so bringing water and food is a good idea, particularly during warmer months.
The reservoir straddles an international border, so one bank belongs to Ukraine and the other to Moldova. This means a visitor can walk along the Moldovan shore while looking across the water at Ukrainian territory just a short distance away.
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