Most motor boats remained docked on Tuesday, July 26, in the marina of the port of Duisburg, in northwestern Germany. At this time of year, such calm is unusual, but John Friedhelm does not complain. “With the rain that has been announced for today, there is hardly anyone. It’s sad, but for once it’s raining, consider ourselves lucky! »jokes this employee of the Ruhrorter-Yacht-Club, a small bucolic haven improbably nestled between a metal arch bridge and a power station in the heart of the largest river port in Europe, at the confluence of the Ruhr and the Rhine.
Not so long ago, John Friedhelm would not have been happy to meet so few boaters on a summer day, because of the rain. But, now, “every drop is welcome”he explains, pointing to the exit of the small port. “Over there, there is a sandbar in the middle of the channel. Before, it was no problem because there was always enough water for the small motorboats that are here to get in and out without problems. Now, it’s more complicated, and it’s worth knowing how to maneuver if you want to avoid getting stuck. »
Despite these “minor inconveniences”, John Friedhelm is not worried about the future of the yacht club. Admittedly, one day it will be necessary to install new floating pontoons because the current ones will end up no longer being suitable for such shallow waters. But this is nothing compared to the other challenges posed by the lower level of the Rhine. A subject which, since mid-July, has been making headlines in German news, such as the historic flooding of a tributary of the river, exactly a year earlier, had raised awareness of climate change in a region, the Rhineland , who willingly thought himself safe from its consequences.
“The current situation is totally unprecedented”
To tell the truth, the drop in the level of the Rhine is not a new problem. To get the most precise idea of the situation, it is best to go to the limnimetric station at the port of Duisburg, a white and blue gatehouse surmounted by a digital counter which displays the depth of the river in large orange figures.
On July 26, it is 1.98 meters. “We have already seen worse. In 2018, the level had fallen here to 1.53 metersremembers the guard. But at the time, it was October. We are only at the end of July here, and the level is already one meter lower than usual. If it continues to be so dry, late summer and early fall will be very difficult for navigation. »
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