European lakes face historic lows due to severe drought

Severe drought conditions across Central Europe are causing critical water shortages in several major lakes and river basins.

In the Po Valley, Italy and Switzerland have implemented emergency measures to combat the crisis. To support agriculture and stabilize Lago Maggiore, which has reached historic lows, authorities will increase water discharge from Lake Lugano via the Tresa River from 3 to 8 cubic meters per second.

In Austria, the Attersee is facing an ecological crisis due to prolonged dryness. Authorities have ordered a reduction in water outflow to the Ager river to prevent the lake level from dropping too rapidly. Similarly, the Neusiedler See is approaching a historic low, with water levels nearly matching the record minimums seen in 2022. In the Seewinkel region, the low water in the Darscho pool has become critical for local fish populations, necessitating the relocation of carp to other ponds.

In Italy, the drought has also impacted the Valvestino reservoir near Lake Garda. Extremely low water levels have revealed the ruins of a 19th-century customs house, the ‘Ex Regio Casello di dogana di Gargnano’, which had been submerged since the construction of the dam in 1962.