Emergency crews secure four-meter canal breach in Bągart as northern rivers surge

Canal breach and emergency repairs in Bągart

On Sunday, 23 August 2026, water management authorities responded to structural damage in the village of Bągart, situated in Sztum County within the Pomeranian Voivodeship. A breach measuring approximately four meters in length opened along the final section of Kanał Modry near the Dzierzgoń and Żuławy areas. Heavy rainfall across preceding days created significant pressure on regional drainage networks. Emergency response teams deployed heavy-duty big bag containers to reinforce the compromised canal bank. These reinforced polymer sacks weigh more than one tonne when filled with sand or crushed stone, allowing crews to block water flow and stabilize the damaged embankment.

The State Water Holding Polish Waters confirmed the damage and described the containment efforts in an official release.

In the village of Bągart, on the final section of the Modry Canal, a breach about 4 meters long has formed.

Elevated water levels across the Vistula Lagoon basin

The canal failure occurred alongside persistently elevated water levels across the surrounding Vistula Lagoon drainage basin. The most serious hydrological surge was recorded along the Wąska river, where gauging stations measured water surpassing official alarm thresholds. At the monitoring station in Pasłęk, the water level reached 637 centimeters at approximately 18:30 on Sunday.

The Pasłęk Municipal Office announced that local officials are conducting continuous monitoring of the river course and low-lying ground susceptible to inundation. Municipal authorities coordinated with regional emergency units to track flow rates and prepare localized defenses. City representatives also instructed residents to maintain caution, avoid approaching riverbanks, and stay clear of flooded land.

Hydrological alerts and sea-effect precipitation

The Institute of Meteorology and Water Management maintained widespread hydrological warnings across northern and western Poland following severe rain on Friday and Saturday. A red hydrological alert, the highest warning level, remained active for the entire Wąska river catchment due to the river exceeding alarm marks. Orange alerts remained in place for the Bauda and Węgorapa rivers in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, as well as river basins along the border between Greater Poland and Lower Silesia. In Warmia and Mazury, the Guber river basin remained under a yellow alert for sudden surges.

On the Wąska river in Pasłęk, the water level exceeds the alarm state, while flood surge warnings are in effect on the Bauda and Węgorapa rivers.

Yellow warnings also applied to river basins spanning the boundary between the West Pomeranian and Pomeranian voivodeships. Meteorologist Tomasz Wakszyński attributed the coastal conditions to sea-effect weather dynamics generating localized downpours. Weather services maintained active convective storm warnings across both northern voivodeships, forecasting further rain and strong wind gusts.

Regional stabilization and canal maintenance

Despite high water levels in several eastern basins, emergency services reported stabilization across adjacent hydrotechnical infrastructure. Along the left embankment of the Młynówka Marwicka watercourse, authorities declared the hazard resolved after water that had briefly spilled over a low levee crown receded back into the channel. Technical crews also cleared a fallen tree that had obstructed boat traffic on the Elbląg Canal between Lake Ruda Woda and Lake Ilińskie. Polish Waters confirmed that operational units maintain continuous monitoring across vulnerable water facilities nationwide.