The Elbe River in Dresden Continues to Recede—The "White Fleet" Is No Longer Operating

The Elbe River in Dresden is carrying less and less water. On Friday morning, the water level at the gauge stood at 51 centimeters, according to data from the State Flood Center. Forecasts indicate that the water level will continue to drop significantly over the weekend: It is expected to reach 43 centimeters by Sunday morning.

The White Fleet’s sightseeing steamers will remain in port for the time being due to the low water level. According to Sächsische Dampfschifffahrt, all scheduled trips are canceled through Monday. Special events such as the “Zuckertütenfahrt” will take place only with ships moored at the dock.

Levels are still far from historic lows

However, Dresden’s all-time low water levels are still a long way off. The Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration has recorded the previous record lows in 1947 and 1952. At that time, a level of 21 centimeters was measured at the Dresden gauge in mid-August each year. Normally, the Elbe averages 1.60 meters at the Dresden gauge. During the once-in-a-century flood of 2002, it reached 9.40 meters.

Experts, however, consider flow rate to be the more hydrologically significant measure. During the low water level on August 12, 1947, the discharge at the Dresden gauge was 35.8 cubic meters per second. By comparison, it was 81.1 cubic meters per second that morning.