The local lake in Malaryta has almost completely dried up. What happened to it?
The Military Lake in Malaryta has almost completely dried up. Only small puddles, silt, and exposed bottom remain at the site of the reservoir. A local resident published a video of the lake on TikTok, prompting citizens to recall what it used to be like and sparking a discussion about the reasons for the water's disappearance, writes BG.Media.
In the comments, people compared photos of the lake from the summers of 2025 and 2026. Last year's photos still showed a full-fledged reservoir, while this year's photos show almost no water left.
Many Malaryta residents fondly recall swimming in this lake, playing on its shore, and watching swans in their childhood. Some hope that the reservoir can be restored and the surrounding area improved. People suggest cleaning and deepening the lake, removing accumulated silt, and creating a small park nearby.
However, the reasons for the water's disappearance are a matter of debate. Some residents attribute it to prolonged drought and climate change. They note that low water levels have been observed in ponds, lakes, and wells in Belarus for the second consecutive year. Others suggest that land reclamation, economic activity, and the disappearance of springs that previously fed the lake might have influenced the situation.
One local resident recounted that springs used to flow in the forest, supplying water to the lake. According to her, large crucian carp lived in the spring pits, but later the springs were filled in, and the reservoir stopped being replenished by their water. She suggests this might have been one of the reasons for the shallowing.
Some commentators also link the disappearance of water to the construction of a local factory, claiming that possible consequences for the lake were discussed even then. However, these opinions have not yet been confirmed by special studies.
Malaryta residents also mention other reservoirs that are shallowing or drying up. Comments refer to Lake Vizhar near Zhabinka, the shallowing of Oltush Lake, and problems with reservoirs in Kobryn. Similar phenomena, according to users, are also observed in the Volyn region of Ukraine.
As recently as the summer of 2025, Military Lake in Malaryta was a full-fledged reservoir. In July, the district newspaper "Golas Chasu" (Voice of Time) reported on an inspection after information about mass fish deaths appeared on social media.
Anatoly Nikityuk, head of the Malaryta District Inspectorate of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, then stated that specialists had examined the lake. No mass fish diseases were found. The Brest Regional Laboratory of Analytical Control took water samples, and hydrochemical analysis showed no exceedances of pollutants or toxic compounds. The water quality was deemed to meet standards, and no threat to the ecosystem was established based on the inspection results.
In late February 2026, employees of the Malaryta District Department of Internal Affairs, together with representatives of the local housing and communal services, cleaned the area near the lake. The work was carried out as part of regular measures to improve urban infrastructure and recreational areas.
A similar situation was observed this summer in the Brest region. In August 2026, a video appeared on social media showing a completely dried-up lake near the village of Cherni, a few kilometers from Brest. Instead of water, there remained an exposed bottom, which had dried and cracked. According to user comments, the reservoir began to shallow even earlier: one of them recalled that in winter, only a frozen puddle remained in that spot.
In August, the Brest Regional Committee of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection explained the general trend of shallowing reservoirs in the region by a prolonged lack of precipitation. According to specialists, a deficit of rain has been observed for the third consecutive year, and throughout 2026, the lack of moisture was felt almost constantly. A decrease in water levels was recorded not only in lakes but also in rivers, including the Pripyat and Yaselda, as well as in wells.
Environmental specialists warn that simply cleaning or deepening a reservoir will not necessarily solve the problem. If the groundwater level is low, intervention in the bottom can disrupt the waterproof layer and lead to the remaining water draining even faster. Therefore, before starting work, it is necessary to determine the causes of the shallowing of a specific lake.
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