Rivers too low for depth checks, leaving ships to risk stranding

Low water levels in Dutch rivers have left authorities unable to measure safe ship passage, forcing mariners to gauge on their own risk of becoming stranded. Rijkswaterstaat, the transport ministry department managing the waterways, reported its survey boats cannot reach the shallowest sections of the IJssel, Nederrijn, Pannerdensch Kanaal, and much of the Waal.

Only three agency boats remain shallow enough, but they are also in demand elsewhere. Consequently, Rijkswaterstaat cannot publish daily shipping depth readings, which barge operators rely on to avoid getting stuck. Commercial firms gather and sell similar data, but many skippers cannot afford subscriptions. Fiona Oomen of inland shipping association Koninklijke Binnenvaart Nederland expressed concern, stating transport pressures are mounting on roads and waterways.

"What if the water drops even further? Where is everything supposed to go?" The Rhine's flow at Lobith, where it enters the Netherlands, is currently around 545 cubic meters per second, well below the record low of 614 meters per second set in August. A Dutch cruise ship carrying 140 passengers got stuck in Cologne due to the Rhine's new low.

On the IJssel, a one-way system imposed last week forced vessels to take detours of up to 300 kilometers. Freight carried on Dutch waterways dropped by 19% in August, with cross-border traffic to Germany worst affected. The infrastructure ministry lifted the national water shortage alert in early September, warning river levels could remain low until year-end.

Compensation for businesses hit by the drought is not in the cards, as the cabinet has ruled it out. Rijkswaterstaat could not predict how long the situation would last, emphasizing the need for rain outside the Netherlands. Current forecasts suggest the flow will neither worsen nor improve significantly. Meanwhile, an exceptionally warm North Sea could bring a very wet autumn.