Water too hot: warning issued for the Danube – fish death threatens

Created: 08/05/2022 12:51 p.m

By: Tanja Kipke

Heat, dryness, drought: Bavaria is in a state of emergency.

The Upper Palatinate government issued a "warning" for the Danube.

The alarm plan takes effect for the first time.

Regensburg – The heat of the past few weeks is not just a problem for people.

Above all, nature suffers enormously from the drought.

Streams dry up, river levels drop.

In order to counteract the lack of water, the first districts have issued bans, and Nuremberg is currently even watering its trees with swimming pool water.

The government in the Upper Palatinate is now worried about the Danube.

Since the water temperature has been over 25 for seven days, the Upper Palatinate pulls the emergency brake.

Heat and drought in the Upper Palatinate: fish are dying in the Danube

"Due to the weather conditions and the forecast hot days, an increase well above 26.5 degrees in the Danube is to be expected," the government announced.

The warm and dry weather puts a strain on oxygen availability in the river.

In the next few days it could even drop below 6mg/l, which would mean certain death for some fish species (e.g. trout).

The Upper Palatinate government is therefore issuing a warning:

On the basis of the “Bavarian Danube Water Ecology Alarm Plan” (ADÖ), the government of the Upper Palatinate issued the warning level 'WARNING' for reporting area 3, from Regensburg to Passau.

Government notice Upper Palatinate

Too warm and too dry: The Danube suffers from the persistent heat.

© Armin Weigel/dpa

What does that mean exactly?

Measures are being taken to keep the “burden on the aquatic organisms” in the Danube as low as possible.

For example, the city can order steps that lower the temperature in the river again or ban work that would damage the oxygen content in the river.

This makes the following possible:

• Technical advice for the company owners and possible request for the voluntary implementation of measures to improve water ecology

• Emission Reduction Arrangements

• Rejection of applications for measures that could worsen the aquatic ecological situation

• Ban on mud clearance and dredging in the Danube

• Decommissioning of wastewater treatment plants for sanitation purposes

• Discontinuation of phosphate precipitation in sewage treatment plants for sanitation purposes

(By the way: Our brand new Regensburg newsletter will keep you regularly informed about all the important stories from the World Heritage city and the Upper Palatinate. Register here.)

Government of Upper Palatinate proclaims "Danube Alarm Plan" for the first time

It is the first time that the second warning level of the ADÖ has been declared.

This is reported by the BR, citing the Regensburg Water Management Office.

The plan is there to identify critical and stressful conditions in the Danube at an early stage.

It corresponds to the Main Water Ecology Alarm Plan (AMÖ), which contains similar measures.

According to meteorologists, the end of the dry season will probably not be in sight until autumn.

You can find everything about the current weather conditions in Bavaria in our ticker.