Gauge Zimnicea: current water level and draft

Danube · km 554

Measurement-100cm01:00 · 0 cm/24hRule of thumb—cmDraft—cm

Shallow sections

No depth reports available from AFDJ.

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 Zimnicea gauge

Latest reading: On 28/10/2026 at 01:00 the Zimnicea gauge read -100 cm, the same as 24 hours earlier. Source: AFDJ.

Gauge Zimnicea is on the Danube, at kilometre 554.

Forecasts and neighbouring gauges

Water-level forecasts: the 5-day forecast from AFDJ (red). Upstream lies Svishtov, downstream Ruse.

The Danube in Romania

AFDJ supplies water levels, forecasts and shallow-section reports. The profile values EV, IV, C, IR and ER run from the green to the red fairway edge.
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