Ongoing low water situation

Since mid July, the German Federal Institute for Hydrology (BfG) in Koblenz, Germany, reports on sinking surface waters levels due to low rainfalls.

Whether and to which extend the low water levels affect the sampling procedures of the Environmental Specimen Bank will be become apparent the next days. Currently, sampling of breams at the Elbe takes place. There is danger for drying up of the zebra mussels colonization plates as well as for the free-hanging sedimentation boxes on all sampling locations.

Especially, the river Elbe and their tributaries are affected. Water levels of the Mulde are under the mean low water levels of 97 cm. The lowest water level for this period was measured in Dessau yesterday with 85 cm. Here, the lowest-known value of 70 cm was determined on the 5th of August in 1982. Today, the lowest registered value in the 2000s (91 cm, August 13, 2003) was undershot at the Pegel Wittenberg with the Elbe showing water levels of 87 cm.

 Further information of the German Federal Institute for Hydrology (BfG) (in German)