Mud generated by the Elbe River causes issues within the North Baltic Canal.
A sandbank has cropped up in the Elbe before the Brunsbüttel locks, leading to tightened constraints for ships sailing through the canal. Now, certain vessels must await high tide and can only depart the canal at designated intervals, leading to a substantial decrease in ships utilizing the Kiel Canal. Jens-Broder Knudsen, chair of the Initiative Kiel Canal, and Jan Klein, managing director of the UCA United Canal Agency, are urging prompt action.
At present, the cause of the sediment buildup is under investigation. It's suspected that construction work on the fifth lock chamber or the new fairway in the Elbe and the resulting alterations to currents could be behind it.
The Elbe river is instrumental for shipping traffic heading to the Kiel Canal, particularly vessels bound for Hamburg – one of Europe's largest ports. If sandbanks form or shift in the Elbe estuary or at the canal's entrance, the waterways become shallower, posing a higher risk of grounding, forcing larger ships to lighten their loads or avoid the canal altogether.
Sandbanks are a natural phenomenon that occur in estuaries due to slowed waters and increased sediment deposition. This might be caused by tidal currents, river discharge, or dredging activities.
Established wisdom suggests that the sediment responsible for the sandbanks forming in the Elbe estuary usually comes from two main sources:1. Sediment transported downstream by the Elbe River itself, composed of sand, silt, and clay washed down from upstream regions, especially following heavy rain or snowmelt.2. Sediment carried by tidal currents from the North Sea, which deposits sand and finer materials in the Elbe estuary where the river's flow slows and meets the sea.
Dredging to maintain shipping lanes can temporarily displace sediment and, in some cases, contribute to increased sedimentation and sandbank formation.
While recent sources do not explicitly note a surge in recent sandbank incidents at the Elbe adversely impacting the Kiel Canal, it is well-known that sandbanks in the Elbe estuary can restrict navigation and necessitate shipping rerouting or smaller vessels. Both riverine (from the Elbe itself) and marine (from the North Sea) sources contribute to the sediment buildup, and human dredging activities can also affect sediment flow and accumulation.
The investigation into the sandbank's formation suggests a potential link between construction work and the alteration of currents in the Elbe. As the Elbe is integral to shipping traffic towards the Kiel Canal, regular occurrence of sandbanks could increase the risk of grounding, potentially forcing larger ships to adjust their loads or avoid the canal.
