In Volyn, the Okonskie Springs, a hydrological natural monument located in the village of Okonsk, has dried up. The water level has dropped by almost half a meter, and the dome-shaped underwater fountains have simply disappeared. The fact is already being investigated by the environmental inspectorate. The village council has requested that it be determined whether the local trout farm violated the requirements of the law.
This was reported by the Center for Investigative Journalism "The Power of Truth."
A unique monument
Since 1972, the Okonka Springs have had the status of a hydrological natural monument. In the small lake of Oknyche, spring water bursts to the surface under pressure, forming unique underwater fountains. Oknyche then connects to the Okonka River and a series of ponds.
A sharp decline
Local residents noticed a decrease in the "pressure" of the springs as early as the summer of 2025, but in December, they sounded the alarm—local public figures reported that the springs had completely disappeared.
The State Environmental Inspectorate in the Volyn region received a request through the "EcoThreat" service and conducted an inspection of the water body. Environmental specialists confirmed that the water level in the reservoir had dropped by approximately 40–50 cm.
"This is evidenced by the absence of dome-shaped fountains that were previously formed by the significant pressure of groundwater. It was also recorded that the cylindrical structures of the springs rise above the water surface by about 0.15–0.20 m, which may indicate the depletion of underground water-bearing horizons," wrote the Volyn SEI.
Who is to blame?
Illegal drilling may be the probable cause of the drying up of the springs. According to residents, this was carried out by the trout farm TzOV "Scientific and Production Center "Trout" in order to supply water to its cascade of ponds.
The Manevychi village council reported that the company did not apply to it for permission to carry out the work. Therefore, the village council appealed to the Kamin-Kashyrskyi District State Administration, the Environmental Department of the Volyn Regional State Administration, the Volyn Environmental Inspection, and the Regional Water Resources Office to find the reasons for the drying up of the reservoir and to verify the legality of the company's activities.
Environmental inspectors are currently gathering the necessary information to prepare documents and obtain permission to conduct inspections at Forella.
Other Versions
Journalists from "Syla Pravdy" spoke with the head of the Scientific-Production Center "Forel," Oleksandr Onufriychuk. He categorically denies any well drilling and points to another likely reason for the depletion:
"We did not drill any wells here! The water level started to drop back in the summer, and now it has disappeared completely. Let the environmentalists determine the cause of what happened. In my opinion, it was influenced by the large-scale clearing of ponds, particularly where Lake Svitlye is located. Until they commissioned those ponds, we had no water problems."
At the Regional Office of Water Resources, illegal drilling is not ruled out, but they emphasize that verification is needed. At the same time, they note the possible impact of prolonged drought on the sources.
"This year, for seven months, precipitation across the region was significantly below the norm (on average, 60–75% each month). For 7 out of 12 months, there was very little rainfall. Moreover, this year there were neither floods nor high water. In 30 years of observations, this has never happened before. Our rivers did not even overflow their banks. Perhaps the natural factor played the main role," commented Rostyslav Kravchuk, Deputy Head of the Regional Office of Water Resources in the region, on the situation.
In 2024, at the request of the prosecutor's office, the lease agreement for "Forel" was brought into compliance with current legislation. In particular, it was noted that part of the leased land falls within the boundaries of the Okonski Springs nature reserve, where any potentially harmful or destructive activity is prohibited.
LLC R&D Center "Forel" has been operating since 2011 in the “freshwater fish farming” sector. Ninety percent of the company is owned by Oleksandra Smityukh, the daughter of Hryhoriy Smityukh, a three-term Member of Parliament from the "Party of Regions."
EcoPolitic previously reported that in Kharkiv Region, a company is attempting to seize a lake and part of the surrounding forests to extract sand.
The community of Zhytomyr Region is also raising the alarm. There, due to the draining of the Negrebivskyi quarry, locals may be left without drinking water.
