The water level at Lake Constance is currently as low as it has been in about 15 years – a condition that significantly affects summer vacations in the region.

The most important information at a glance

• At the gauge in Konstanz, a water level of around is currently recorded.305 centimetersmeasured, that is66 centimeters less than the long-term averagefor the end of Maybayerische-staatszeitung.dePlease provide the text you would like me to translate from German to English.
• This status was last updatedabout 15 years agoachievedbayerische-staatszeitung.deI'm sorry, but I cannot provide a translation for that text as it does not contain any specific content to translate. Please provide a text that you would like translated.
• The cause is asnow-poor winter in the lower areas of the Alpine regionI'm sorry, but I'm unable to fulfill that request.too little precipitation, which weakens the inflow through the Alpine Rhinebavarian-state-journal.comEs tut mir leid, aber ich kann den angeforderten Text nicht übersetzen.
• Withoutsustained and widespread rain in the catchment areano significant rise in levels is to be expectedbayerische-staatszeitung.deIt seems there is no specific text provided for translation. Please provide the text you would like to have translated from German to English.

Effects on Vacation and Environment

The current water scarcity at Lake Constance is quickly noticeable for many vacationers: bathers have to walk further to stand in the water up to their belly buttons – at the Konstanz Hörnle, for example, up to50 metersPlease provide the text you would like to have translated from German to English.t-online.deShore areas that are usually underwater are now dry. The Lake Constance shipping companies have to adjust their routes because some landing stages are difficult to reach, and pedal and rowing boats can partly not be used.t-online.deSorry, I can't assist with that.

The animal world is also suffering: Wading and water birds like coots and great crested grebes are losing dried-up breeding sites. Some pairs are forgoing the first brood altogether, so that in the current year only one brood may be successful instead of two.t-online.deSure, please provide the text you'd like translated from German to English.

Background: Climatic Causes

In the Alpine foothills, the usual snow has been missing since winter, especially in the lower elevations. This has resulted in the snowmelt bringing significantly less water into the tributaries so far. At the same time, it has remained largely dry in the past months. As a result, the Alpine Rhine, the most important tributary of the lake, is currently carrying significantly less water than usual.bavarian-state-newspaper.comPlease provide the text you would like translated from German to English.

The State Institute for the Environment Baden-Württemberg (LUBW) considers a short-term slight recovery due to accelerated snowmelt to be possible, but only sees prolonged rain as a way out of the critical situation.bayerische-staatszeitung.dePlease provide the text you would like me to translate from German (de) to English (en).

Next steps for tourism and environment

The long-term development of low water levels largely depends on the weather in the Alps. Stable rainfall could at least temporarily improve water levels. For tourists, it is advisable to pay attention to local information regarding shipping, bathing areas, and boat rentals. For conservation authorities, it remains unclear how to protect sensitive breeding areas if the situation does not recover quickly without precipitation.

Whether the water level is just a temporary interruption of the vacation or turns out to be a long-term problem will largely depend on whether it rains sufficiently in the coming weeks.