Water level of Lake Maggiore to Reach New Record Low Soon

The situation on Lake Maggiore is currently “extremely critical,” said Laurent Filippini, head of the Ticino Office of Waterways, in response to a query from the Keystone-SDA news agency. If there is no significant rainfall in the coming weeks, there is a “very real risk” that new lows for this time of year—or even all-time historical records—will be set.

The most recent reference point is the year 2022, as sea levels continued to fall steadily through the end of August that year, as Filippini explained. The lowest historical levels, however, were recorded during the summers of 1976 and 1990.

At the end of July 1976, the lowest level for that month was recorded at 192.16 meters above sea level, while at the end of August 1990, the all-time low for the month of August was measured at 192.09 meters. What makes the current situation unique is that the current water level, when compared directly on a daily basis, is even lower than the decline curves observed in 2003 and 2022.

The lake's outflow is being restricted

The canton’s crisis management efforts are currently focused primarily on reducing the outflow from the lake in order to conserve the remaining water reserves as much as possible, Filippini added. Water releases downstream have been gradually reduced over several weeks and are now below the actual needs of the agricultural sector in order to slow the drop in the lake’s water level.

This process is controlled from Italy via the Miorina weir in Sesto Calende, Lombardy. There is ongoing coordination between the relevant Italian and Swiss authorities.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that the Alpine reservoirs in Ticino and Piedmont are also at record lows for this time of year. The situation is being monitored daily to strike the best possible balance between environmental protection and the needs of water supply and agriculture.