Poland’s Longest River Suffers Record Low Water Level in Warsaw

(Bloomberg) -- The water in Poland’s longest river, the Vistula, has dropped to its lowest level ever in Warsaw, raising new drought concerns for the country. 

“Today, we have noted another unfortunate record regarding the low water level in the Vistula River in Warsaw – it currently stands at 9 centimeters (3.5 inches),” said Dariusz Witkowski, hydrologist from the national Institute of Meteorology and Water Management. 

The fresh record is a result of precipitation below norm in August, temperatures above average between autumn 2024 and spring this year and no snow during the past winter, Witkowski said. 

The lengthy drought has been boosted by a dry summer. Average temperatures across much of the country were warmer than long-term climate norms recorded from 1991-2020, especially in the southwest, data from the weather institute show.

Shifting weather patterns brought cooler weather in August, but rainfall levels have not recovered, data show. Most stations across the country are recording much less rain than the long-term average, with Kozienice in eastern Poland averaging roughly 6% of normal rainfall.

“All of this contributed to the record low water levels, which is an alarming and dangerous situation,” Witkowski said. 

Due to the low water levels, Warsaw has suspended most routes of its river ferries — one of the city’s summer tourist attractions. It may also need to impose some limits on water use if the situation worsens, according to Witkowski.

Across the country the meteorological institute said its observations indicate there are threats of hydrological drought at almost 300 of its 700 river measuring stations. Witkowski said the low water levels may have knock-on effects for the nation’s harvests and raise food prices. 

Mieczyslaw Luczak, a farmer from Wielkopolska region in western Poland, who runs a seed farm and also represents local agriculture industry, dug his own water reservoir four years ago, to have own supply for watering. 

“In agriculture, we are currently facing very high production costs, as the prices of fertilizers, plant protection products, labor, and fuel are already very high,” Luczak said. “On top of all this, there is recurring drought. In order to harvest crops, you need to invest a certain amount of money. And when there is no water, the income is minimal.”

--With assistance from Joe Wertz.

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