Lake Constance water level falls below 2.50 meters

The level of Lake Constance has fallen below the 2.50 meter mark. At the weekend, 2.49 meters were measured at the Konstanz water gauge. The water level is currently extremely low for the time of year. Due to the ongoing dryness and the natural annual rhythm of Lake Constance's water levels, the State Environmental Agency (LUBW) expects a further decline in the coming weeks.

There are several reasons for the unusual situation. According to the LUBW, there was a lack of meltwater from the Alps after a winter with little snow. In addition, there has been low rainfall for months and high evaporation during the warm summer.

According to a spokesman for the German Weather Service (DWD), Lake Constance can expect a few days of rain. “Notable, heavy rain” can be expected at the beginning of the week and also on Thursday. The DWD meteorologist has not yet been able to estimate whether the precipitation will cause water levels on Lake Constance to rise again.

However, the current water level is not an all-time record: Lake Constance usually only reaches its lowest water levels in winter. According to the Baden-Württemberg Low Water Information Center, the lowest water level since the evaluation began in 1850 was measured at 2.26 meters at the end of February and beginning of March 1858.

Lake Constance follows a natural annual rhythm. After the usually high water levels in early summer and summer, the inflows decrease in late summer. In autumn and winter, a large part of the precipitation in the Alps falls as snow and is initially stored. Accordingly, the water level usually continues to fall before rising again as the snow melts in spring.