Rhine water levels: Slight relaxation, but no all-clear for shipping

After the historic lows in the Rhine, the situation for shipping has eased slightly. However, there is no clear all-clear. According to the forecast, water levels are likely to fall again in the coming days.

Between St. Goar and Mainz, ships can still only pass partially loaded, said Fabian Spieß, deputy managing director of the Federal Association of German Inland Shipping (BDB). The disruption is less than at the beginning and middle of August. The slightly increased water levels led to significantly more ship traffic, said Spieß. In order to be able to fully load the ships, a water level of around 150 centimeters is required for most ships at the Kaub gauge.

The water level at the “bottleneck” of Rhine navigation has fallen

Kaub is located on the Middle Rhine between St. Goar and Mainz. The section is considered the “bottleneck” of Rhine navigation. According to the BDB, the shipping channel is poorly developed. The water level in Kaub was 73 centimeters at the beginning of the week and fell to 59 centimeters by Wednesday.

The Federal Institute of Hydrology and the Waterways and Shipping Administration expect water levels to be below 40 centimeters by the beginning of next week. According to the 14-day forecast, they could rise slightly again afterwards.

In mid-August this year, the water level in Kaub had dropped to 6 centimeters. It has never been this low. As a result, freight shipping on the Rhine declined sharply. Freight ships could either no longer sail at all or could only sail empty. In the second half of August, water levels rose again due to rainfall.