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Elbe River at Record Low Near Magdeburg; Port Operations Continue via Canal
🇩🇪 Germany /Environment & Climate

Elbe River at Record Low Near Magdeburg; Port Operations Continue via Canal

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • The Elbe River near Magdeburg has reached a record low of 42 centimeters, just three centimeters above the previous record from 2019.
  • Continued drought and high temperatures are expected to lower the water level further, potentially reaching 39 centimeters.
  • While river navigation is impossible, the Magdeburger Hafen remains operational by utilizing the Mittelland Canal, and alternative transport methods are being used in other areas.

The Elbe River at Magdeburg has hit a critical low, with water levels dropping to just 42 centimeters at the Magdeburg-Strombrücke gauge. This figure is a mere three centimeters above the all-time low recorded in the summer of 2019. Experts are currently analyzing the data to determine if this new record low is sustained over a 24-hour period before it is officially registered.

We are water level independent 365 days a year.

— Heiko MalyManaging director of Magdeburger Hafen, explaining their operational resilience.

Weather forecasts offer little relief, predicting continued dry conditions and high temperatures, potentially pushing the water level down to 40 or even 39 centimeters by Sunday. This prolonged drought has rendered the Elbe impassable for commercial shipping for some time. Recreational boaters are the only ones utilizing the waterway, and even excursion services have had to reroute their departures due to the shallow waters.

The situation with the low water level is nothing new for us. We concentrate on road and rail.

— Jens SeyffertDispatcher at the Roßlau industrial port, describing their adaptation to drought conditions.

Despite the severe impact on navigation, the Magdeburger Hafen is maintaining operations. "We are water level independent 365 days a year," stated managing director Heiko Maly. The port is currently handling freight traffic via the Mittelland Canal, an alternative that allows it to function despite the Elbe's condition. In contrast, the industrial port in Roßlau has seen no ship traffic since March, with operations relying solely on road and rail transport.

The driving ban can only be lifted in legally regulated exceptional cases - I am thinking of the Corona pandemic - or in comparable urgent individual cases.

— Lydia HüskensSaxony-Anhalt's Minister of Transport, explaining conditions for potentially lifting truck driving bans.

Authorities are considering measures to mitigate the impact of the drought on transportation. While an outright suspension of the Sunday and public holiday driving ban for trucks is not currently planned, Saxony-Anhalt's Minister of Transport, Lydia Hüskens, indicated that exceptions could be made in specific, urgent cases. However, she also cautioned that increasing truck traffic, especially during the peak travel season, could further strain already burdened roads.

Additional truck traffic would further burden the roads, especially during the main travel season.

— Lydia HüskensExpressing concerns about increasing truck traffic due to drought.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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