"More extreme than ever!"
The Green Lake is now nothing more than a “gravel pit”
Many tourist destinations in Styria are facing new challenges. Where water once flowed in torrents, the sight now is rather disheartening.
Kronen Zeitung als bevorzugte Google-Quelle hinzufügen The autumnal sea of leaves glows in orange and yellow splendor; rocks tower beside us as we grip the wooden ladder firmly. Then we look down—but there’s no trace of the roaring water in the Bärenschützklamm gorge near Mixnitz.
Climate change is making itself felt. Greenpeace is currently warning of dramatically low groundwater levels. Two Styrian municipalities, Oberzeiring and Schöder, have recently struggled with contaminated drinking water and declining yields from their springs—and the region’s gorges are also suffering from the drought.
Complaints from visitors
“This is the first year it’s been this bad! We’ve had virtually no water since spring—it’s extreme,” says Gerhard Jantscher of the Mixnitz Alpine Club, who oversees the maintenance of the Bärenschützklamm. Visitors have already complained, “but I have to appeal to common sense—if it hasn’t rained for six months, then no water can flow,” says Jantscher.
Kesselfall Without a Waterfall, Too
The situation isn’t any better at the popular tourist destination Kesselfallklamm in Semriach. This gorge, too, has been virtually dry since spring. “That’s especially a shame for children, who are usually allowed to splash around in some spots here,” says Günther Steger from the Semriach Alpine Club, which manages the gorge.
Grüner See Resembles a Gravel Pit
The picture is just as disheartening at Grüner See in Tragöß-St. Katharein: It’s empty. “The lake looks like a gravel pit—you wouldn’t believe it,” says Mayor Hubert Zinner. “The drought is really becoming a problem!” According to the mayor, the hydroelectric plants on the Laming—a tributary of the Mürz—have already had to be shut down this year due to a lack of water. “That’s never happened before,” says Zinner. He hopes for prolonged rainfall and plenty of snow this winter for the region.
The “Wilde Wasser” themed trail was spared
“We’ve been incredibly lucky—we’ve had rainfall time and again,” says Hermann Trinker, mayor of Schladming. The “Wilde Wasser” themed trail, which leads to the Riesach Falls, was spared from the drought. “But of course, we’re hoping for more rain, too,” says Trinker.
Back to Mixnitz. At the upper end of the Bärenschützklamm gorge, a sign hangs above the sink in the restroom at the hut: “We ask for your understanding—no water due to the drought!” According to Gerhard Jantscher, the fire department in the area is already having to supply huts with water.
Water is a precious resource. We need to change our mindset!
Gerhard Jantscher, Alpenverein Mixnitz
Bild: Christian Jauschowetz
Appeal from the Alpine Club
“Many higher-altitude Alpine Club huts in Austria have already had to close because there’s no water on the mountain. You can’t have everything flown in by helicopter. Water is a precious resource,” he emphasizes. Yet the general public lacks this awareness. “We’re used to turning on the faucet, lathering up our hands or washing our hair, while the water just keeps running. We need a change in mindset!” demands Jantscher. Because: “Springs are increasingly drying up.”
This article has been automatically translated,
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