The Dnieper Reservoirs, Their Significance and Problems

The paper deals with the history of the construction of the first hydropower complex in the Dnieper River - the Dniproges. Further the large-scale hydrotechnical construction in Ukraine became one of the priorities of its national economy, which was conditioned by intensive development of industry and agriculture. The construction of the cascade of six reservoirs in the Dnieper River was conditioned by natural deficiency of water resources. Conceptual approaches to the ecological assessment of the hydrotechnical construction impact on the water bodies were elaborated at the stage of design, construction and operation of each reservoir. This enabled to predict both favorable and adverse effects of the operation of these artificial water bodies. The significance of the Dnieper reservoirs and the ways of mitigation of the adverse effects of the large plain river transformation into the cascade of reservoirs are discussed. The future of the Dnieper reservoirs in view of specialists and mass media is discussed.