By Michael Sauerbier
The Spree carries less and less water with it. The mega water reservoir “Lohsa II” (72 million cubic meters) should therefore be completed more quickly.
Dramatic news for our Spree: the capital river only carries half as much water as normal. And summer is just beginning. A large storage facility in Saxony is intended to save Berlin’s lifeline from drying out.
Heat, drought and climate change are cutting off the water in the rivers. The consequences can be seen near Senftenberg (South Brandenburg): The Black Elster has dried up for several kilometers. It’s been ten days.
“The water shortage is really dramatic,” said Saxony’s Environment Minister Wolfram Günther (48, Greens). He met his Brandenburg colleague Axel Vogel (66, Greens) on Tuesday at short notice in the flood control center in Senftenberg. There, the mining administration LMBV controls the levels of the Spree, Elster and Neisse.
Two-thirds of their water is pumped from lignite opencast mines. Or initiated from reservoirs such as the Senftenberger See when the quantity is no longer sufficient.
Brandenburg
“At the same time, we have to fill the remaining open-cast mining holes with water,” says LMBV boss Bernd Sablotny (58). Despite less rain and coal exit. “The entire system is out of balance,” Sablotny complains. “We’re having trouble maintaining the river levels.”
His suggestion: In order to save the Spree, the Saxon water reservoir “Lohsa II” (72 million cubic meters) should be made fully functional by 2030. That was only planned for 2050. Both politicians promptly agreed. Minister Günther: “Better yesterday than tomorrow!”
