Cottbus Baltic Sea sets new record for flooding
According to the operator Leag, the Cottbus Baltic Sea has reached a new filling record during its flooding. Currently, 3.8 cubic meters of water per second are flowing from the Spree into the lake, which is set to become the largest artificial body of water in Germany. The lake has now reached a maximum water level of 58.7 meters above sea level. The water level is rising between two and three centimeters per day, reports Thomas Koch, Head of Geotechnical Engineering. He cannot estimate whether this will still be the case next week. It also depends on further rainfall.
"If we continue to have rainfall now, we would overflow the lake bed in about five weeks," explains Koch. Such a new maximum water level with a closed water cover would of course also have a visual effect. However, the Leag expert warns that the lake is still cordoned off by fences and the area may not be entered until it is cleared.
In connection with the flooding, the banks of the Baltic Sea will also have to be redesigned. Edges have been secured along a length of 4.5 kilometers that were once intended to form the shore, explains the Leag expert.
The Baltic Sea, a former open-cast mine, will one day have a water surface area of almost 19 square kilometers. This means it will be larger than the Schwielochsee and Scharmützelsee - and a good two and a half times the size of the Großer Müggelsee. In 2025, the water should reach the required minimum height of 2.7 meters in the middle of the lake. Flooding began in April 2019 and was repeatedly suspended due to persistent drought.
Despite the ongoing flooding, the Leag expert stresses the importance of maintaining safety measures, as the cordoned-off lake area should not be entered until it's cleared. The future of the revitalized Baltic Sea, once an open-cast mine, includes a significant expansion of its lake area due to natural water influx. This expanded lake, bigger than the Schwielochsee and Scharmützelsee, will also incorporate new habitats for various aquatic species, provided by the numerous lakes resulting from the mining activity and the flooding. The presence of these lakes in nature, coupled with the fresh water from the flood, will significantly impact local ecosystems and waterbird populations.
Source: www.dpa.com
