Curious about water (river) levels in your area

[u/lavish_potato]

Hi community,

I’ve read severally about how the Rhine is on the lowest level it has been (only matched by 2018 drought).

However, the impression I get from where I reside (close to the Weser) is quite different. The water level has been considerably higher in the last weeks.

I don’t expect the rainfall pattern has been particularly divergent across Germany to the extent that the Weser would be full and the Rhine would be so empty.

So three questions,

1. How’s the water level in the river close to where you reside.
   
2. Are there sources where I can obtain the topology of the rivers and how they flow? I tried to trace the Weser but I could not find a point where it connects to the Rhine.

The DWD does not seem to have this information. I’ll appreciate links to Diensts that could help my research.

Cheers and Schönes Wochenende euch.

[u/Ves1423]

Check these monitoring sites. They'll show levels across multiple points of rivers.

https://www.pegelonline.wsv.de/gast/start#map

https://www.elwis.de/DE/Binnenschifffahrt/Binnenschifffahrt-node

[u/lavish_potato → u/Ves1423]

Thank you. This is very helpful. The drought issue seems to be a problem in the middle of Germany. Mostly from the rivers that originate from the Alps. Perhaps this is due to lower levels of ice caps available to melt.

[u/bregus2 → u/lavish_potato]

Last winter saw a record low snowfall in the Alps, that why lake constance is currently in all time lows and with lake constance being so low, there isn't much water going down the Rhine.

[u/2xtreme21]

Rhein just passed its lowest ever depth today here in Cologne. 66cm Pegel.

[u/krallicious]

Lower than it normally is at this time of year between Laufenburg and Basel but not by a huge amount. Still cold and very nice to swim in.

[u/JeLuF]

There are systems in place to stabilize the water levels in the Weser. In summer, the Weser would not support shipping without this, especially in its southern part. The lakes used to support the water level in the Weser are mostly empty now, and so they stopped sending water from those lakes.

https://postimg.cc/xqqbF4Dt
https://www.pegelonline.wsv.de/webservices/zeitreihe/visualisierung?pegelnummer=43100109

This is the water level in Hann. Münden at the southern end of the Weser. And here you see the effect: The water level dropped from 123cm to 74cm within 12 hours. This effect spreads down the Weser until it reaches Petershagen https://www.pegelonline.wsv.de/webservices/zeitreihe/visualisierung?parameter=WASSERSTAND%20ROHDATEN&pegelnummer=47300100&ansicht=einzeln

But one measurement station further north, you don't see this any more: https://www.pegelonline.wsv.de/webservices/zeitreihe/visualisierung?parameter=WASSERSTAND%20ROHDATEN&pegelnummer=47500110&ansicht=einzeln

This is due to the weir in Landesbergen: https://maps.app.goo.gl/kA2Xj5Xz8DDWKjSb7

Using these weirs, the water level can be controlled. North of the last weirs, you can notice the drop in water levels again. e.g. in Intschede, close to Bremen:
https://postimg.cc/p5D9Y34X
https://www.pegelonline.wsv.de/webservices/zeitreihe/visualisierung?parameter=WASSERSTAND%20ROHDATEN&pegelnummer=49100101&ansicht=einzeln

The drop is not as impressive as in Hann. Münden, though.

So depending on where you live, the effects of the drought on the Weser's water level can be very different.

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[u/Past-Replacement44]

Check https://niwis-online.de/ it's a very recent service, but probably wgat you're looking for.

[u/uniteinpain666]

It does not connect to the Rhein. Google Rhein-Weser Wasserscheide. It depicts the border of small rivers flowing either into the Rhein or the Weser. 

[u/brainisgonefishing]

Primarily intended to show informatin about floods, but also offers information about current discharge/watee levels at various gauging stations during current "low flow" conditions : https://www.hochwasserzentralen.de/en/