In the last days of March, in the area at the foot of Hoa Binh Bridge (Hoa Binh ward, Phu Tho province), many sand and gravel beaches stretching hundreds of meters were clearly visible.
The water flow has narrowed, only flowing in part of the riverbed, creating conditions for people to easily access areas that were previously deeply flooded.
This rare scene attracts local people to go down to the alluvial ground to stroll and take pictures. In many locations, the water is shallow, the flow is weak, and you can wade or walk quite far into the middle of the river.
Real-world records of Lao Dong Newspaper reporters show that many people bring fishing rods and nets down to the riverbed to catch fish.
Mr. Nguyen Van Minh (resident of Hoa Binh ward) said that the phenomenon of low river water often appears at the end of the dry season, when the water flow from upstream decreases and hydropower reservoirs limit discharge.
However, this year's deep water level has caused many alluvial grounds to emerge clearly, creating a rare scene.
Normally, the water in this area is quite deep, making it difficult to see the alluvial ground. But in recent days, the water has dropped low, so many sandy beaches have emerged clearly, and you can walk to the middle of the Da River to fish or take a walk in the afternoon," Mr. Minh shared.
Mr. Pham Xuan Quynh (owner of the sand yard at the foot of Hoa Binh Friendship Bridge) informed that compared to September-October 2025, when Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant discharged floodwater, the current river water level is about 25-30m lower.
According to Mr. Quynh, the significant reduction has turned many areas of the riverbed, which were previously deeply flooded, into wide sand dunes, clearly visible in the middle of the flow and visible to the naked eye from the bridge.
Mr. Nguyen Van Nam - (a resident living near the area near Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant) said that this time is entering the end of the dry season, so the amount of water from upstream flowing down has decreased sharply, the riverbed in many sections is shallow to the bottom, revealing sand and gravel stretching in the middle of the stream.
According to the update at 11:00 AM on March 24, Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant is maintaining a large discharge flow to serve power generation and reservoir regulation.
Specifically, the upstream water level of the reservoir reached 115.82m, about 1.18m lower than the normal water level (117m). The water flow to the reservoir is 77 m3/s, while the total discharge flow is up to 635 m3/s, all through the plant.
According to Inland Waterway Maintenance Management Joint Stock Company No. 9, the downstream water level currently fluctuates from 4.5 - 4.8m, lower than favorable conditions for transportation.
