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Leina Canal in Gotha: Beavers damage water art – shutdown announced!
The Leina Canal in Gotha will be shut down for three weeks from September 29th, 2025 due to beaver dams, which will affect the water art.
Leina Canal in Gotha: Beavers damage water art – shutdown announced!
The city of Gotha is currently confronted with a special circumstance: the Leina Canal does not carry enough water to operate the water art on the Schlossberg. How Gotha Current reported that the water feature will be temporarily shut down due to the sometimes problematic situation with beaver dams on the canal.
From Monday, September 29th, 2025, the Leina Canal will be gradually diverted from Emleben to the Altenwasser in order to resolve the problems with the thick beaver dams in several places between Emleben and Sundhausen. These dams not only negatively affected the water level but also affected the side dam structures. Loud MDR The shutdown is estimated to last three to four weeks, which means that the water art cannot be in operation during the upcoming “Gotha glows” event at the weekend.
The role of the beaver
The beaver has made a remarkable return in Thuringia in recent years. After being considered extinct for over 400 years, the Eurasian species has been permanently resident in the region again since 2007 and is helping to promote biodiversity in our waters. The NABU Thuringia highlights the ecological services of the beaver and calls for better protection of the floodplains. Beaver dams play an important role in the ecosystem; they not only support biodiversity, but also contribute to flood protection by promoting backwater and thus a better groundwater supply.
The measures to remove the dams have been coordinated with the lower water authority and the lower nature conservation authority of the district. An exemption from species protection law already exists because the beaver is a protected species. Among other things, the plan stipulates that the changed water conditions will ensure that the beavers migrate to the Altenwasser and the Hörsel.
Economic impacts and protective measures
The economic damage caused by beaver dams should not be underestimated. Last year, the state of Thuringia spent around 37,000 euros to compensate for damage caused by beavers MDR reported. The experts have also agreed that the beaver population now numbers several hundred animals in the country, after previously appearing to be almost extinct.
Given the increasing numbers, it is important to find a balance between nature conservation and the needs of the population. The new state government is planning an action plan that will promote the protection of stream and river floodplains in order to find a sustainable solution to such conflicts. NABU emphasizes that concrete, ecologically sensible measures are required to ensure beaver protection while at the same time taking into account the quality of life of local residents.
Gotha now faces the challenge of meeting both ecological and economic interests through temporary water diversions and the removal of beaver dams that pose obstacles. The decline in the water level in the Leina Canal could have a positive effect on the surrounding area, but should be implemented carefully.