Kiliia Branch

the northernmost branch of the Danube delta; it has the greatest volume of water of the delta branches. Approximately 70 percent of the total discharge of the river passes through it. Length, 116 km. Width, 0.6–1.2 km. In the lower part the Kiliia branch divides into 25 main and several dozen secondary branches and channels. The water level is high in spring and summer and low during the fall. The level is raised by the effect of the wind from the sea as far as Izmail. The ports of Izmail, Kiliia, and Vilkovo (USSR) are located on the Kiliia branch, which is navigable by oceangoing vessels as far as Izmail. The Kiliia’s channel has been diked to protect agricultural lands from flooding during the high-water period. Part of the state border between the USSR and Rumania passes along the Kiliia branch.