Groß Glienick Lake: Threatened water resources and urgent need for action!

The condition of Lake Groß Glienick in Brandenburg gives rise to concern. Since 2000 the lake has dropped by around 1.50 meters, such as Tagesspiegel reported. An old footbridge at the bathing area has been dry for years, while the lake is increasingly at risk from climate change and various landscape interventions. In the past, the Groß Glienicker Lake received water transitions from the Seeburger Fenn and the Döberitzer Heide, but today the lake is fed almost exclusively by groundwater.

Carsten Preuß and Richard Jacob from Bund Brandenburg recently handed over the "BUND-Seenreport" to Potsdam's environmental deputy Bernd Rubelt. The report looks at a total of 17 waters and emphasizes that the condition of Lake Groß Glienicker is representative of many other lakes in Brandenburg, which also depend on the groundwater level. The population and the area sealing in the region contributed to the deterioration of the level, which is clearly recognizable in the current water balance.

demands for saving the lakes

The federal government demands that the expansion of settlements around the lake stop. According to the environmentalists, a complete drying of the Groß Glienicker Lake is almost impossible, especially due to the underground compounds between the surface and groundwater bodies of Havel and Groß Glienicker See, which stabilize the level. The water level of the lake is currently about 1.30 meters above that of the Havel, with a maximum depth of around eleven meters and an average depth of six meters.

In addition, the federal government rejects the filling of the lake with Havel water, as this is considered not sustainable. Instead, the environmentalists demand that rainfall in the region are preserved and that the wastewater is infiltrated on site instead of being directed to rivers. These measures are essential to improve the water balance of the lakes in Brandenburg, which, according to the federal government, are acutely endangered, as is explained in another report by the federal government. This shows the negative effects of land use and water balance on the lakes of the region, which are further tightened by climate change.

Thomas Volpers, a representative of the federal government, warned of a total loss of the lakes, especially if the temperature increase exceeds the 1.5 degree limit. The federal government emphasizes that there has been little progress in Brandenburg in recent years and asks the state government to finally take effective measures to maintain the lakes to ensure their future preservation.