About Kamchia Dam

Kamchia Reservoir is located in northeastern Bulgaria on the Kamchiya River, one of the largest rivers flowing into the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The dam is situated near the village of Kamchiya in Varna Province and was completed in 1975. With a storage capacity of 233.6 MCM, the reservoir serves multiple purposes: irrigation supply for agricultural lands in the Varna and Shumen regions, industrial water supply, and compensation flow regulation into the lower Kamchiya River. The Kamchiya estuary downstream of the dam is one of Bulgaria's most important protected natural areas — the Kamchia Biosphere Reserve and its unique longoz (flooded riparian) forest, which shelters over 150 bird species. Water managers must balance agricultural extraction against the ecological flow requirements of this internationally recognised wetland system. The reservoir catchment covers a large area of the eastern Balkan Mountains and receives moderate precipitation. The surrounding landscape is largely agricultural — cereal crops, sunflowers, and vineyards — with forested ridges rising to the south. Kamchia is an important freshwater fishing location, and its shores are popular with recreational visitors from the nearby coastal resorts of the Black Sea riviera during the summer season.