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Water levels in major rivers have fallen again this week, after two small discharge peaks occurred.
editorialsource: AP
The Rhine in Lobeth drains approximately 883 cubic meters of water per second on Monday. Rijkswaterstaat expects drainage this week to drop to around 800 cubic meters per second or even less, depending on how much precipitation might fall. Almost no such low discharge occurred. So many restrictions on commercial shipping continue to apply.
Due to heavy rains in Switzerland and Germany, in the Rhine basin, the water discharge in Lobeth rose to more than 1,000 cubic meters per second last week. Rijkswaterstaat took advantage of these drainage peaks by holding excess water between the Driel and Amerongen dams in order to alleviate somewhat the acute water shortage in the water boards. As more water enters through the Rhine, one-way freight traffic on the IJssel can also be prevented. It is not yet clear whether that will continue to be the case this week.
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The Meuse is also very low due to the constant drought and significant evaporation due to the heat. It has rained heavily recently in the Ardennes, which has benefited the Rain River. Rijkswaterstaat warns that the water level in the Meuse is rising and falling rapidly due to the management of the dam in Belgium, which is also very dry. But since the water level in the Meuse is regulated by dams, there is enough water left for shipping. Commercial shipping should take into account long waiting times at the locks, as they open as little as possible so as not to waste water.
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