Suche
Mein Konto
Dömitz Harbor Closed Due to Drought – Shipping Ends!
Dömitz port in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district is closing shipping due to persistent drought. Rain urgently needed.
Dömitz Harbor Closed Due to Drought – Shipping Ends!
The ongoing drought in northern Germany has now also reached the port of Dömitz. According to current reports from Baltic Sea newspaper The port, which is located in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district, was closed due to the dramatically low water level. Harbor master Michael Kirstein announced that shipping in the region had come to a complete standstill. Neither cargo ships nor pleasure boats can navigate the section, and a canoe is only occasionally used.
The situation is particularly critical: on Monday morning a water level of zero centimeters and a water depth of only 18 centimeters were measured, reports the NDR. Kirstein fears that this situation will continue for some time. Rain is urgently needed to improve the water situation. Although a slight rise in water levels is forecast for the end of the week, this is hardly relevant for shipping.
Consequences of drought
The effects of the current drought are not only noticeable in the Dömitz port, but also affect all shipping along the Elbe. While the water level in the harbor is already considered to be the lowest level apart from a similar event in August 2018, the water depth in the Elbe itself is around two meters, which, despite the worrying levels, still makes navigation difficult.
The local water police are also struggling with the consequences of the water shortage. Your boathouse in the harbor can no longer be used, but alternative transport options are available. According to Kirstein, the chances of improving the water supply are not only possible, but also depend on the possible opening of the dams in the Czech Republic, which could make a decisive contribution to regulating the Elbe.
A look into the future
Shipping in the region looks to the future with concern. Hopes for continued rain and other measures to increase water levels remain high. The Federal Environment Ministry is keeping an eye on the situation, and the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration is forecasting an increase in the water level, but there is currently no short-term improvement in sight. In conversation with Mirror It becomes clear: It remains to be seen how nature will develop in the coming days.