By Sabine Klier
The Spree carries so little water that it even flows backwards to the Müggelsee. The water levels on the Berlin lakes are falling. The Panke, the Black Elster – dried up riverbeds.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Climate Protection of the State of Brandenburg is alarmed: The cross-state ad hoc working group “Extreme Situation” has met again to assess the situation and decide on measures, according to a statement. July 2022 is included in the statistics as another month that was far too dry. There was even less rain than in previous months.
Dirk Ehlert, nature expert at the Senate Department for the Environment, Transport and Climate Protection: “Berlin is actually almost in the privileged situation of still having enough water. Enough water still flows through the source valley of the Spree and the Havel. And our original city fathers made sure, also because of shipping, that enough locks were built and that there was enough water and thus also for groundwater formation.”
But the fact is also: “For decades we were spoiled because the Spree was supplied with a lot of water from the lignite mines. On the other hand, we now have significantly less water due to the increasing drought and the recultivation of the areas and the retention of water in order to be able to supply the large areas and lakes,” says the expert.
The question: What will happen in the next few years if the drought persists? Ehlert: “We have to manage better with the water that is there and accumulates. We can no longer afford the principle of the 1950s of letting the water run off quickly. There are numerous projects for this, such as large wells under the streets to collect rainwater, the unsealing of areas up to these wetting and flooding areas. However: It must also rain, so a minimum rainfall.”
The Panke (here in the Panketal north of Berlin) also has no water Photo: Christian Lohse