Velykyi Kuyalnik

The Velykyi Kuyalnik (Ukrainian: Великий Куяльник), or Bolshoy Kuyalnik (Russian: Большой Куяльник) is a river in Podilsk, Ananyiv, Shyriaieve, and Ivanivka Raions of Odessa Oblast in Ukraine. Its mouth is the Kuyalnik Estuary of the Black Sea. The length of the river is 150 kilometres (93 mi), and the area of its drainage basin is 1,860 square kilometres (720 sq mi).[1] The urban-type settlements of Shyriaieve and Ivanivka are located on the banks of the Velykyi Kuyalnik.

Upper course

Velykyi Kuyalnik River
The lower course
Location
Country	Ukraine
Physical characteristics
Mouth
• location	Kuyalnik Estuary
Length	150 km (93 mi)[1]
Basin size	1,860 km2 (720 sq mi)[1]

In the past, the Velykyi Kuyalnik was navigable and, together with the Dniester, was used to transport goods to the Black Sea, bypassing the cascades at the Dnieper River. In 2007-2008, illegal sand diggers built a dam in the mouth of the Velykyi Kuyalnik, so that the river does not empty to the sea anymore. The dam has never been demolished, leading to drying out of the estuary.[2][3]