Waldeck/Verden (dpa/lhe) - The level of the Edersee has fallen further due to the persistent drought. The largest reservoir in Hesse is now only 18 percent full, as the Waterways and Shipping Office (WSA) announced on Wednesday. Even the forecast rain will not ease the situation. "The situation at the Edersee will not change much, since no long-lasting wet trend has been predicted," said WSA spokesman Jens Köhne.
According to Köhne, the office responsible for the management of the Edertalsperre in the North Hessian district of Waldeck-Frankenberg expects "at most very small effects" from the announced precipitation. With its 48 meter high dam wall, the plant can store 200 million cubic meters of water. On Wednesday it was only 36 million cubic meters.
The water of the Edersee is used to regulate the Weser and the Mittelland Canal. For this purpose, 30 cubic meters of water are usually released per second. If the water level falls below the 40 million cubic meter mark, as it currently does, the minimum delivery volume is reduced to six cubic meters per second. As a result, the water level in the Upper Weser is falling. It is currently so low that commercial and leisure shipping is no longer possible there.
In addition, tourism at the Edersee suffers from the low water level. The regional association Eder-Diemel (RVED), an interest group for municipalities, water sports enthusiasts, hoteliers and restaurateurs, expects damage in the millions.
