Low Rhine Water Levels Threaten to Sever Key German Shipping Route
German shippers warn that low water levels at the Kaub gauging station could halt Rhine cargo traffic, splitting the river into two separate navigable zones.
Germany's inland shipping industry is bracing for a potential shutdown of cargo traffic on a critical stretch of the Rhine River this week, as persistent dry weather pushes water levels to historic lows.
The Federal Association of German Inland Shipping (BDB) warned on Monday that the water level at the Kaub gauging station—a major chokepoint on the Middle Rhine south of Koblenz—is forecast to drop into single digits for the first time. The station sits at one of the shallowest sections of the river, making it a key indicator for navigability.
According to BDB managing director Jens Schwanen, commercial shipping would no longer be able to transport goods through that region at such low levels, and the restriction would also apply to day-trip and cruise vessels. "In principle, the Rhine is then no longer navigable along its entire length and thus split in two," he said.
While the northern stretch of the river would remain open for traffic connecting the ports of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Antwerp with Germany's west canal network, the southern section would still see movement on tributaries such as the Main, Moselle, and Neckar rivers, as well as the Main-Danube Canal.
To mitigate the impact on supply chains, several German states—including North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland—relaxed trucking restrictions over the weekend, allowing road transport to absorb some of the cargo that would normally move by barge.