Azov-Don Basin is the first among Russia’s 15 IWW basins to open the navigation season of 2022. By the order of the Federal Marine and River Transport Agency (Rosmorrechflot) dated 21 March 2022 the navigation is opened from March 22, 10 days ahead of scheduled beginning of navigation on the Lower Don, according to Rosmorrechflot.
The Federal Azov-Don Basin Administration is responsible for management and control of inland waterways of the Don River from the lower access channel of Lock No 15 (Tsimlyansk Reservoir) to the village of Aksai (the 3121-km stretch of the Don), except for Nikolayevsky and the Konstantinovsky hydroengineering facilities, and the tributaries of the Don River, Seversky Donets (from Krasny farm to the mouth) and the Manych River (from the Novo-Manychskaya Dam to the mouth). The total length of the Azov-Don Basin Administration managed inland waterways reaches 691.3 km.
Azov-Don Basin Administration runs 10 hydraulic engineering systems with the Bagayevsky hydrosystem to be put into operation in 2024.
In 2021, the cargo traffic within the borders of the Azov-Don Basin of inland waterways of Russia totaled 8.8 million tonnes which made 85.8% of the previous year result. A total decrease by 1.460 million tonnes should be attributed to reduction of wheat transportation (by 35%, year-on-year) and sulphur (by 47%, year-on-year).