Persistent drought in southern Germany and Switzerland means water levels on Lake Constance (Bodensee) have fallen to a 53-year low, data from Switzerland's Canton Thurgau has revealed.

Lake Constance water levels reach record low

According to a report in the Swiss newspaper Thurgauer Zeitung, the water level in the western Untersee section of the Bodensee is at its lowest level recorded for April since 1972, and is likely to fall further. The Bodensee stretches across the southern border of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, with Switzerland and Austria on the other side of the lake.

In the larger Obersee section of the lake, the water line is 40 centimetres below the average for the time of year, the lowest level reported since April 1996. The low water line is already having a big impact: at the start of April Switzerland's Mannenbach harbour had completely dried up, while Bavaria's Hoy Island, which can usually only be accessed by boat, was connected to the mainland by a small path.

Bodensee water levels only expected to drop further

Persistent drought, which has afflicted the region and the mountains that feed the lake, is the main reason the body of water is drying out. In Germany and Switzerland, March 2025 was persistently too dry, with some areas of the Swiss Alps seeing 80 percent less rain and snowfall than usual. "Snow depths in the catchment area are below average, which indicates that snowmelt will be lower this year than in other years," said a Thurgau spokesperson. 

Thanks to climate change, periods of warm, dry weather are becoming more frequent and severe in central and southern Europe, culminating in droughts and heat waves. Experts argue that unless freak weather intervenes, the water line at the lake will continue to drop as summer begins.

This article was originally published on IamExpat Switzerland.

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