Low water on the Oder: Captains remain frustrated in Frankfurt!

Low water on the Oder: Captains remain frustrated in Frankfurt!

In recent weeks, the Oder has caused a stir with extremely low water levels. Tourist boat trips in Frankfurt are particularly affected. The popular excursion boats are currently standing on the shore, which led Captain Dirk Triebler from “Uncle Helmut” to say that they cannot sail due to the unfavorable conditions. A lack of precipitation and the critical water situation have a severe impact on the entire season. The current water level in Frankfurt is only 101 centimeters, which is almost 50 percent below the average water level for July, according to rbb24.

Despite the warnings, Triebler is optimistic that the water level could rise by around 35 centimeters by Sunday evening. But he is not planning safe journeys for the coming weekend because sandbanks represent a serious problem. These were created by the construction of groynes on the Polish side and can easily become a danger to shipping. Due to the conditions, the Waterways and Shipping Authority (WSA) can no longer carry out bearing surveys to measure the depth of the fairway, which further increases the risks, as Berliner Kurier reports.

Low water and risks for shipping

The extreme conditions are not only problematic for recreational boaters. Experts warn that ships must act on their own responsibility as the risk of getting stuck is high. WSA hydrologist Cornelia Lauschke emphasizes that the ships can no longer be salvaged, which further dramatizes the situation. In Eisenhüttenstadt the water level is 1.61 meters and is therefore 60 centimeters below the August average. The flow of the Oder has now fallen to 53 percent of the long-term reference value, and similar low water situations were already observed in 2015, 2018 and 2019.

However, these rather worrying conditions in the Oder are not isolated. Overall, the federal waterways in Germany are experiencing a decline in water levels; in addition to the Oder, the Elbe and the Danube are particularly affected. This was documented in the current low water report from June 26, 2025, which states that after a brief recovery in spring, insufficient rainfall in Central Europe is now causing a rapid decline in water levels, while the Rhine remains comparatively stable, as bafg.de states.

A ray of hope could come with early rains, which are urgently needed to shed light on the critical situation. Until then, the situation remains tense and all skippers are called upon to navigate carefully to avoid accidents. If the trend continues, shipping on the Oder could continue to be affected in the coming weeks.