Exposed sandbars, stranded ferries, and sometimes dangerous objects found in the riverbed: The consequences of low water levels are visible in many places. In the future, such situations could become more frequent. Over the past ten years, extremely low water levels have been reached with striking frequency on the Elbe, says Daniel Bachmann, professor of hydromechanics – that is, the study of the behavior and movement of water – at Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences. Particularly in the summer and fall, pronounced low water levels are expected to occur more frequently.
“As far as water levels and outflows are concerned, this is definitely exceptional,” says Bachmann. At the Magdeburg-Strombrücke gauge, 35 centimeters were measured at the start of the week—ten centimeters lower than the previous record low set in 2019. In 2025, the level had once again dropped to 45 centimeters. “We’ve been in the low-water range since May. That’s a very long period,” explains Bachmann.
In the future, extremes could intensify in both directions. More frequent periods of low water do not mean, therefore, that flooding is a thing of the past. We must continue to expect that as well.
