Lake Zurich sees water level hit record low amid drought

GENEVA: Lake Zurich's water level plummeted to its lowest point in 75 years in a severe drought gripping the nation, official readings indicated on Wednesday. Switzerland has been grappling with a prolonged drought since spring, brought on by recurrent heatwaves and abnormally low precipitation, according to the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN).

This has led to parched soils and diminished surface and groundwater levels, with the office noting a worsening of the situation in recent weeks. As a consequence, many lakes are experiencing below-average seasonal levels, including Lake Constance, which spans Switzerland, Germany, and Austria, and Lake Maggiore, situated in southern Alps with borders between Switzerland and Italy.

An agency spokesperson disclosed to AFP that, to date, only Lake Zurich, the sixth-largest in the country, has witnessed its water levels reach a record low. The lake's water level, located southeast of Switzerland's largest city, did not surpass 404.45m above sea level on Wednesday, falling short of the previous record of 405.46m, recorded in 1952, the year measurements commenced at the station.

The annual mean stands at 405.93m, as per FOEN. The Zurich Lake Ferry company, which services the crossing between Horgen on the west shore and Meilen on the east shore, has alerted passengers this week of restrictions on vehicle loading due to the exceptionally low water level, prohibiting heavy trucks and numerous other vehicle types.

Last week, the Italian-Swiss consultative body tasked with overseeing the water level in Lake Maggiore reached an urgent decision to permit a greater outflow from Lake Lugano into the larger body of water after the Italian environment ministry alerted them to the critical water level in the Maggiore, citing concerns over its effects on rice-growing areas downstream in the Italian regions of Novara, Lomellina, and Milan.

Lake Geneva, Switzerland's largest lake, has maintained water levels near its annual average at 372m above sea level, thanks to an influx from rivers fueled by glacier melt, FOEN informed AFP.