Heat and Drought: Rhine Water Levels Still Too Low for Normal Shipping

The Rhine has risen from its historic lows, but Germany’s inland shipping industry is warning against declaring the crisis over. Conditions have improved slightly, yet vessels still cannot operate normally on a key stretch of the river.

Between St. Goar and Mainz, ships can pass only partially loaded, said Fabian Spieß, deputy managing director of the German Inland Navigation Association. The disruption is less severe than it was in early and mid-August, but forecasts suggest water levels could fall again in the coming days.

The modest rise has already brought noticeably more ship traffic. Full loads, however, remain out of reach for most vessels. The Kaub gauge needs to reach roughly 150 centimeters before ships can generally be loaded to capacity.

Kaub sits on the Middle Rhine between St. Goar and Mainz, in a section known as the bottleneck of Rhine shipping. The navigation channel there is less developed, according to the association. The level at Kaub stood at 73 centimeters at the start of the week before dropping to 59 centimeters by Wednesday.

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The disruptions are less severe than at the beginning and middle of August.