Drought and low river levels threaten Rhine cruises

Low water levels are putting river cruises on the Rhine in jeopardy, with excursions being cancelled or cut short because boats are unable to access sections of the river.

Cruise operators told NOS they are anxiously monitoring the water level on a daily basis to see whether their scheduled trips can go ahead.

Teun Sijbrands, of SijFa Cruises, said 140 passengers boarded the Otello this week for a trip to Strasbourg, but it was unlikely that the boat would be able to travel that far.

The Otello has a depth of 1.45m, which is currently too deep to go further than Koblenz. “To get to Strasbourg we need more rain, but there’s no sign of it coming. That’s a big problem for us.

“If people don’t get the trip that’s described in the brochure, they can claim their money back.”

A spokesman for De Zonnebloem, an Arnhem-based ship that hosts cruises for people with disabilities, said: “We can’t go to Germany for the time being. Our first trip that way is planned for September, but it’s uncertain whether it will go ahead.”

Summer droughts are expected to become more likely as a result of climate change, making it increasingly difficult for river traffic.

At Lobith in Gelderland, the point at which the Rhine enters the Netherlands, the flow of water was down to 745 m3 per second in mid-July, less than half the average for the time of year of 1,900 m3.

Highways and waterways agency Rijkswaterstaat, which is responsible for river traffic, said the river level is unusually low for so early in the year, causing problems for both leisure cruises and cargo barges.

The problems are caused by low rainfall not just in the Netherlands, but further upstream in the Alps, rivers specialist Daniël van Putten told NOS. “That water just isn’t reaching us,” he said.