Drought despite rain: water withdrawal is prohibited in the Alb-Donau district!

Drought despite rain: water withdrawal is prohibited in the Alb-Donau district!

The Alb-Donau district has received a lot of rain in the last few days, but it hasn't been enough to improve the tense water situation in the rivers and streams. Despite the rainfall, the water bodies are still suffering from the consequences of the prolonged drought of the last few weeks, which has led to very low water levels. The situation is particularly worrying on the Lone, a river that has now completely dried up in large parts of the district. Due to the permeable karst soil, the water seeps away naturally, which further aggravates the situation. The Swabian reports that The lower water authority of the district office has now issued a general decree that prohibits the withdrawal of water from the Lone. This ban applies not only to new requests, but also to permits that have already been granted, for example for agricultural irrigation.

The general order comes into force on June 19, 2025 and remains valid until July 7, 2025. The district office urgently appeals to the population to use water sparingly. Citizens were informed on May 20th and asked not to withdraw water. With the low water levels, there is hardly any dilution of the treated wastewater, which increases the organic load and causes the oxygen content in the water to decrease. This leads to a further deterioration in living conditions for fish species, mussels, amphibians, aquatic plants and microorganisms , according to the Alb-Donau-Kreis district office.

Increased responsibility of citizens

The concrete measures should be seen as a strong signal: water withdrawals from rivers, especially during times of low water, are only permitted with permission from the lower water authority. Anyone who wants to extract water from a body of water using pumps needs such a permit. In addition, damming up water and creating depressions to facilitate water extraction are strictly prohibited. The latter could further strain the already fragile conditions. The Schwäbische confirms this in its report.

A look at the situation shows that the shore areas of the waters are drying out, which affects endangered spawning grounds and retreat areas for numerous species. The district office is continuing to monitor the situation closely and will take further measures if necessary if the situation worsens. At this critical time, it is more important than ever that each of us has a good handle on this valuable asset.

The general order and further information on the current situation can be found on the district office's homepage. Responsible use of water is not only necessary, but also the order of the day. Together we can help protect our waters for future generations.