The increased water level of the Helme after the release of water from the Kelbra dam in Saxony-Anhalt is endangering a village in Thuringia, according to the authorities. The village of Nikolrausrieth in the Kyffhäuserkreis district is affected, a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior announced on Thursday. Emergency services had set up sandbags on the riverbank to prevent the water from overflowing into the small village with around 30 houses. According to the information, the water was about ten centimetres below the edge of the bank. In the afternoon, the responsible authorities in both federal states decided to open the Helme dyke located in Saxony-Anhalt in order to divert the water onto surrounding fields.
As a spokesperson for the Thuringian State Office for the Environment, Mining and Nature Conservation (TLUBN) explained, the dyke crown is to be removed over a length of five to ten meters. The water flowing through the culvert will then flow across the fields into a flood ditch in Kalbsrieth, Thuringia. The work was due to start in the late afternoon. As the water level of the Helme is expected to remain high for the next few days, the drainage of the water will be permanently monitored.
