Gauge Silistra: current water level and draft

Danube · km 375

Measurement-131cm06:00 · +5 cm/24hRule of thumb—cmDraft—cm

Shallow sections

No depth reports available from APPD.

Notes

Water depth is not draught. Platform Zero Incidents cites a safety margin of 20–40 cm based on German case law, depending on the riverbed, vessel type and good seamanship. This is not a fixed legal minimum. Under-keel clearance is the space between the vessel and the bed. Dynamic squat while underway reduces that space. Viadonau gives 20–40 cm as a guide for squat. Meeting and overtaking can increase it further; MARIN describes an overtaking manoeuvre with more than 70 cm of squat. Sources: Platform Zero Incidents, CCR, German court ruling, viadonau, MARIN

Water level at the Silistra gauge

Latest reading: On 28/10/2026 at 06:00 the Silistra gauge read -131 cm, 5 cm higher than 24 hours earlier. Source: APPD.

Gauge Silistra is on the Danube, at kilometre 375.

Fairway depth and rule of thumb

At RNW 80 cm, the site uses 250 cm fairway depth and a 30 cm margin: Silistra +140. This is a reference calculation, not a current sounding.

Depth reports: APPD.

Forecasts and neighbouring gauges

Water-level forecasts: the 6-day forecast from APPD (red). Upstream lies Oltenița, downstream Călărași.

The Danube in Bulgaria

APPD (EAEMDR) publishes water levels, forecasts and depths for the Bulgarian Danube.
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