Mura in Mursko Središće at Only 131 cm, Ferry Cannot Sail
Water level in Mursko Središće drops to 131 cm, four times less than three years ago, and the ferry is pinned to the shore.
Water level in Mursko Središće drops to 131 cm, four times less than three years ago, and the ferry is pinned to the shore.
The Mura River is at a historically low level, and in some places the river can be crossed on foot, it was announced on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. In recent weeks, Croatia has recorded some of the historically lowest river levels, with the north of the country particularly affected.
Stanko Kolarić, a ferryman from Mursko Središće, has been transporting people across the Mura by ferry for ten years, but these days the only thing he can move is a boat. "It's just sitting there and can't go anywhere. Four days ago I was ferrying across, but now we can't anymore, it's over," Kolarić told HRT Magazine. He is closely monitoring weather conditions and rainfall in nearby Austria, and optimism comes from a forecast that predicts rain soon.
Exactly three years ago, the Mura's water level at Mursko Središće reached a record 543 cm. Today, the level is 131 cm, which is four times less. In certain areas, along the entire course of the Mura, it is even possible to walk across.
Due to the low water level, there are no fish either. Darko Rob, an experienced angler, can't remember the last time he caught anything. "This is bad. It would need to rise at least 15 cm, and then it would be possible," Rob emphasizes.
Prolonged dry periods also affect wildlife, and hunters are noticing migrations from one bank to the other. "Our game from the central hunting ground is retreating along the Mura, and also, in this heat, you can clearly see that the game is lacking water," says Tihomir Majerić, secretary of the hunting society "Zeko" from Mursko Središće.
Bathers on the banks of the Mura are a daily sight these days. "Almost every day when it's hot, you come here for half an hour, jump in a bit, not headfirst of course, but you cool off and it feels good," said Dragutin Goričanec from Mursko Središće.
Due to the lack of precipitation, exposed riverbeds and sandbars are becoming increasingly visible. "Across is also Croatia, there's a lot of hunting and fishing, private properties. Currently, you can't get across except by boat because the water level is really up to the knees," emphasized Dražen Srpak, mayor of Mursko Središće.
While the river shows the effects of drought, groundwater levels are currently satisfactory.
The low water level of the Mura is part of a broader hydrological trend in Croatia. The Drava in Osijek this morning again broke its historical record, reaching -194 centimeters, the lowest level ever recorded at that measuring station. This surpasses the previous record by two centimeters, and it is already the fourth historical minimum in a very short period, further confirming the scale of the drought affecting the Drava as well. From Hrvatske vode (Croatian Waters), they say they do not expect further decreases in the Drava's water level.
"Currently, there are no indications that it could go lower. According to the forecast, it could fluctuate a few more centimeters, but in the coming hours it should rise slightly, although it won't be anything significant. Moreover, the Drava will remain in the low-water domain," said Mario Spajić, deputy head of the VGO Osijek.
For a significant recovery of the Drava, a deterioration in weather conditions and much more precipitation will be needed. According to forecasts, a change in weather is expected during the weekend, but it is still too early to estimate how much it could affect the water level. "In these hydrological situations, it is difficult to give a completely certain and accurate forecast. Even the previous precipitation was not enough to change the hydrological picture of the Drava. Although there was rain, its impact on the river was negligible," Spajić noted.
Not only the amount of precipitation matters, but also the way it falls. "What is most important, and what we also hope for, is that the rain falls at a normal intensity and continuously for several days without stopping. Of course, that would have a positive effect on agricultural areas and small watercourses, and thus on the Drava River," said Spajić.
