Hildesheim - Levels at the reservoirs in the Harz continue to fall
The water levels at the reservoirs in the Harz Mountains continue to fall. Following the Okertalsperre dam, no more water is being released via the emergency overflow at the Innerstetalsperre dam either, as a spokesperson for the Harz waterworks said on Friday. However, the situation is still tense as there is still too much water in the reservoirs.
On Friday morning, the Innerstetal dam was 99 percent full. "We hope it stays dry so that the levels continue to fall," said the spokesman. Dams are never completely dammed to protect against flood events during regular operation, so that a so-called flood retention area always remains as a buffer. This is still partially filled at the Oker and Innerste dams, among others.
At the Innerste and Oker dams, water has been released via the emergency spillways since Tuesday night because the planned maximum reservoir capacity was exceeded. The so-called spillway went into operation automatically as planned. At the Okertal Dam, this operation ended on Thursday. Even when dams are more than 100 percent full, the water does not overflow uncontrollably as the dam walls are built even higher. The other four dams in the western Harz have not yet reached full capacity.
Since the floods began on December 21, the dams have held back over 24 million cubic meters of water, according to the Harz waterworks. The German Weather Service predicted more rain for Friday, especially in southern Lower Saxony. Overall, the amount of rain was less than at the beginning of the flood situation. From Saturday morning to Sunday morning, the rain is expected to subside somewhat.
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The ongoing decrease in water levels at the Harz dams, such as the Okertalsperre, poses a challenge. Despite being 99% full on Friday morning, the Innerstetal dam is hoping for drier conditions to further lower the levels. Dams, including the Okertalsperre and Innerste dams, maintain a flood retention area as a buffer, even during regular operation.
Source: www.stern.de
