The wet summer was good for nature.
But the rainy season was not long enough for the groundwater reserves in the Ebersberg district.
One expert even expects water shortages in the future.
District
- The spruce trees on the edges of the forest are rich in dark green.
"The rain did the trees immensely good," says Werner Fauth from the forest owners' association in the Ebersberg district.
Beeches, firs, Douglas firs - all of them have grown vigorously thanks to heavy rainfall in July and August.
“Enormous drive lengths in the meter range,” praises Fauth.
"Totally nice!"
On the surface, in the truest sense of the word, it looks as if nature in the district has settled down again after a long period of drought.
But, to be biblical for a moment: One fat year does not make up for seven poor ones.
Forest specialist Fauth knows that, too, who does not like to draw conclusions about the groundwater from coniferous greenery.
Rainy summer in the district of Ebersberg: Good for the trees - it's not enough for the groundwater
One who has a close eye on this is Klaus Moritz, chief hydrologist at the Rosenheim water management office. "This year there was noticeable new groundwater formation in the eastern gravel plain," he says. But as far as the underground water levels are concerned, "we've been below average for almost a decade". Even a comparatively wet July and August would not have changed that much - especially since there was still no excess rain for the year. "Regionally, that's not enough for a long time," says the groundwater specialist. Even if the past few months, especially in near-surface groundwater locations such as around Pliening and Poing, would have eased the situation.
The Low Water Information Service Bavaria (NID), whose measured values are publicly available online, agrees with him.
Pressure probes sunk deep into the "Quaternary" layer of the earth use a membrane to measure the height of the groundwater column above them.
At the “Anzinger Sauschütt” measuring point, for example, the level fluctuates a little over the course of the year, but has not exceeded the average value for years.
At the end of the wet summer this year, for the first time, it rises to “low” instead of “very low”.
Gone are the days when the groundwater, as in the flood summer 2013 in Forstinning, pressed into the cellar.
Heavy rain flows off - "Schnürlregen" helps the groundwater
Nobody wants that, of course.
But for the groundwater level to recover significantly, it has to rain properly for a while, says hydrologist Klaus Moritz.
Heavy rain runs off over the streams.
"Strapping rain, that's what we need."
Thilo Kopmann shares this wish.
He is the board member of the special purpose association supply and disposal Munich East, VEMO for short, which supplies around 78,000 people with drinking water in the districts of Ebersberg and Munich west of the forest.
“One great rain doesn't fill up empty wells,” says Kopmann.
To do this, things have to go on for two more years as they did last.
"Water has a long memory."
The association pumps five million cubic meters a year from its wells near Zorneding at a depth of around 45 meters;
that could fill dozens of oil tanker ships.
“No disadvantages so far,” says the boss about the dry season.
But the future worries him more: In karst areas such as parts of Franconia, it is foreseeable that there could be a noticeable shortage of water in the next ten years due to high consumption in agriculture and trade.
District of Ebersberg: The head of the utility expects water shortages within twenty years
The Munich gravel plain is a little better positioned, but too often climate change has already overtaken and caught up with scientific forecasts.
“We'll see that,” says Kopmann, “who sees a shortage coming within ten or twenty years.
Drilling the second groundwater storey at a depth of around 200 meters, which the water management office has guarded like a treasure of gold so far, is also not a solution.
“It's about services of general interest!” Says Kopmann.
"There is no third or fourth floor."
The head of the water association also believes that drastic means are possible in order to maintain enough drinking water reserves in the soil when rainfall subsides.
We have to react, ”says Kopmann.
"Maybe it has to be a quantity limit."
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