How bad is the Rhine water level?
Water levels on the Rhine River — a small but critical artery for goods vital to Germany’s industry — remain critically low as a result of weeks of drought.
At one of the river's shallowest stretches, Kaub — between Mainz and Koblenz — the water level stood at around 16 centimeters at Monday lunchtime, according to the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV).
Although the real navigable channel is roughly a meter deeper, 40 centimeters is regarded as the lowest for standard commercial vessels at Kaub.
Ship operators use the reading at Kaub to decide how much cargo their barges can safely carry and whether a passage is feasible at all.
