[citation needed] The area of the lagoon is 241.88 square kilometres (93.39 sq mi),[1] and has a depth up to 3.3 metres (11 ft).

[citation needed] In 1978, a concrete dam was built on the sandbar and the lagoon was connected to the Danube River by a canal, through which fresh flood waters come.

This has adversely changed the salinity in the lake, and this plus disturbances from recreation and commercial fishing activities have influenced the habitat for wildfowl.

[citation needed] The aim of this Soviet dam project was to convert the lagoon to a fresh water lake to use for irrigation.

[4][5] In 2022, Ukrainian-American filmmaker Andrea Odezynska's documentary film Return Sasyk To The Sea was released, detailing the history of the region and efforts to restore the damaged wetlands.