On Lake Constance – Washed-out boats, huge seaweed carpets

The situation on Lake Constance is not nearly as dramatic as on Lake Garda or Lake Neusiedl, but of course the ongoing drought also has consequences: on Saturday the water level in Bregenz was 312 centimeters – a value that is really only normal before the end of the season. October would.

Consequences for boat owners
The low water mainly affects boat owners: the gondola harbor of Bregenz is already closed and the canals in Fussach “Little Venice” can no longer be navigated. The situation on the western shore of the lake is much worse, where numerous boats have already had to be launched.

However, the large ships of “Vorarlberg Lines” can still sail. Aquatic plants and algae en masse. The low water level in combination with the high temperatures also has consequences for the ecosystem. Particularly striking are the seagrass carpets, which sometimes stretch for hundreds of meters and extend unusually far into the lake.

Diatoms remove carbon dioxide from water
At least as striking is the turquoise-green color of the water. The reason for this is diatoms, which currently have the best conditions. They extract carbon dioxide from the water, creating tiny limestone crystals. These scatter the light and, together with the light green of the microscopic algae and the blue reflection of the sky, make the lake glow turquoise.