Lake Zurich sees water level hit record low amid drought

Lake Zurich's water level reached its lowest point in 75 years on Wednesday, according to official measurements, as a prolonged drought took its toll on several major Swiss lakes, the Federal Office for the Environment reported. Switzerland has been grappling with a marked drought since spring, triggered by repeated heatwaves and below-average rainfall, the FOEN noted on its website.

This has led to dry soils and reduced surface and ground water levels, intensifying the drought's impact. The situation has caused many lakes to fall short of their seasonal average water levels, the agency pointed out, highlighting Lake Constance and Lake Maggiore as examples. However, Lake Zurich stands out as the only one among the country's six largest lakes to have recorded a record low water level.

The lake, located southeast of Switzerland's largest city, saw its water level drop to 404.45 meters above sea level on Wednesday, falling below the previous record of 405.46 meters set in 1952. The annual mean water level for the lake is 405.93 meters, as per the FOEN. The Zurich Lake Ferry company, operating between Horgen and Meilen, has imposed restrictions on vehicle loading due to the exceptionally low water level, banning heavy trucks and several other types of vehicles from crossing.

Meanwhile, the Italian-Swiss consultative body responsible for regulating Lake Maggiore's water level held an emergency meeting following the Italian environment ministry's alarm over the critical water level in the lake. The decision to allow a larger outflow from Lake Lugano into Lake Maggiore came after the Italian ministry raised concerns about the impacts on rice-growing areas downstream in Novara, Lomellina, and Milan.

In contrast, Lake Geneva, Switzerland's largest lake, has maintained water levels close to its annual average at 372 meters above sea level, thanks to an influx from rivers bolstered by glacier melt, according to the FOEN.