Overview
- The Kaub gauge fell to about −2 centimetres on Wednesday, Sept. 30, a measurement at the river edge that signals critical limits for large cargo ships at the Kaub bottleneck.
- Traffic on the Middle Rhine between St. Goar and Mainz is largely halted with only a few lightly loaded or specialist vessels able to pass, effectively dividing northbound and southbound river traffic.
- Carriers and shippers have reacted with steep low‑water surcharges—reported up to €1,350 per 20‑foot container—and at least one major line has declared force majeure, straining deliveries for refineries, chemical plants and steelmakers.
- Authorities and hydrologists say the Rhine is now sustained mainly by sewage treatment outflows, glacier melt and limited groundwater and that two weeks of steady land rain would be needed to return levels to normal with forecasts allowing for further local falls.
- Industry and shipping groups are pressing for short‑term operational measures and long‑term fixes such as deepening the fairway by 20 centimetres, greater landscape water retention and incentives for low‑water‑optimized vessels to reduce future vulnerability.