In the past winter months, groundwater levels in Bavaria have recovered significantly. The Ministry of the Environment in Munich has pointed this out. There was a lot of precipitation, especially in November and December of the previous year, so that the deeper layers of the soil were able to become saturated with water again. “The abundant rain and snowfall was a blessing for the Bavarian water balance. Ground and surface water levels have replenished significantly. These are good conditions for the development of nature and the landscape this year,” said Environment Minister Thorsten Glauber (Free Voters).
Ten percent of the groundwater points and springs near the surface currently have low or very low groundwater levels, as the Bavarian Low Water Information Service has determined. A year ago this was still true for 65 percent. According to the measurement data, in deeper groundwater areas there is still low water in 40 percent of the places; in March 2023 it was still 70 percent. On average, conditions in Bavaria have been normal to moderately or very humid over the past three months, depending on the region, as the Ministry of the Environment further explained.
Glauber said: “However, climate change and its consequences remain a major challenge. A secure water supply throughout Bavaria is a top priority.” Water security should be guaranteed in all parts of the country.
The Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ) recently announced that the long, extreme drought in Germany is over. The basis is the UFZ drought monitor. Since 2018, extremely dry soils have caused serious damage to nature down to the deeper layers and also increased discussions about security of supply when it comes to water.
The Association for Nature Conservation in Bavaria had announced that it would focus particularly on the topic of water this year. Extremes such as heat waves, droughts and also floods would increase due to the climate crisis, association representatives emphasized at the end of the previous year in their outlook for 2024: “We want to focus, for example, on water retention in the area, the dangers to our groundwater or the massive waste of it bring a valuable resource to the public,” said state representative Martin Geilhufe.