Water withdrawal ban in the Lake Constance district: fines of up to 10,000 euros!

Water withdrawal ban in the Lake Constance district: fines of up to 10,000 euros!

In the Lake Constance district, the ban on abstracting water from surface waters remains in force until Monday, September 15, 2025. This decision was recently announced by the district office, which states that the water reserves have almost been used up. Pumping from rivers, streams, canals, ponds and lakes is still prohibited in order to maintain natural water levels.

The ban affects both public use and irrigation of agricultural land. However, there are exceptions such as the extraction of Lake Constance water and groundwater within approved limits, the watering of livestock and scooping with hand vessels. The district office also appeals to the population to avoid these exceptions if possible.

Influence on water sports and leisure activities

Water sports on bodies of water like the Schussen could put additional strain on nature when the water is low. An agreement was therefore made with canoe rental companies: no tours take place in times of water shortage. Private paddlers are asked to move to other waters in order to reduce the impact on the affected waters.

Although water levels briefly recovered due to rainfall in the second half of July, they have now declined again. This leads to the extension of the water withdrawal ban, which was carried out in coordination with the Ravensburg district. Violations of the ban could result in fines of up to 10,000 euros. A possible early lifting of the ban could occur if water levels improve sustainably. Applications for exceptions can be submitted to the lower water authority.

The complete general decree is available online on the Bodenseekreis website.

Technology as a tool for creative developers

Parallel to developments in the environmental sector, progress is also being made in the area of ​​technology. A notable example is MIT App Inventor. This application, originally developed by Google and now operated by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), allows beginners to create apps for the Android operating system. A graphical user interface that utilizes drag-and-drop functionality makes programming accessible to many.

The MIT App Inventor was first made available on July 12, 2010 and released on December 15 of the same year. The developer team, led by Hal Abelson and Mark Friedman, has continued to develop the program ever since. The first version was released by MIT in 2012 and has since been named “MIT App Inventor 2”.

The platform is based on extensive research in the field of computer science education. Teachers and developers ensure that users benefit from innovative ways to turn their ideas into working apps. Possible applications range from simple games to complex tools for everyday life.