Initiators are waiting for test results on "Lahnwelle"
No decision on the planned "Lahn wave" in Giessen is currently foreseeable. Around three years ago, an initiative of water sports enthusiasts developed the idea of installing an artificial standing wave for surfers behind a weir on the river. Janne Paul Schmidt from the "Lahnwellen" initiative told the German Press Agency that the result of an environmental impact assessment, originally expected in October or November, has not yet been received.
Schmidt explained that the next talks with representatives of the city of Giessen are now planned for the beginning of next year. A city spokesperson said that not all questions regarding the tests had yet been clarified, "but we are working on it".
Schmidt and several other volunteers have been working on the surf wave in the river, which has been popular with canoeists and kayakers, for around three years. He dreams of a "Lahntal Surf Valley", which could also attract new tourist groups to the region. The initiative also has climate change in mind, with low water levels expected in the summer months: According to their plans, the wave could be adapted to the respective water level.
There are already several such river waves across Germany, for example in Hanover, Nuremberg and Pforzheim. The Eisbach wave in Munich's English Garden is particularly well-known.
Despite the eagerness of initiators, the decision on the "Lahn wave" is on hold due to pending test results. Schmidt envisions utilizing the leisure time at the proposed "Lahntal Surf Valley," attracting new tourist groups and addressing climate change concerns by adjusting the wave to the seasonal water levels.
Source: www.dpa.com
