Leitha carried 93 percent less water in September

The Leitha carried 93 percent less water than its long-term September average near Deutsch-Haslau in the Bruck an der Leitha district, ORF reported. Drought continued to affect rivers across Lower Austria in September, with severe shortfalls also recorded on the Thaya and the Kamp.

A September 2026 water report from the Environment Ministry showed no improvement in river levels, the WWF said on Tuesday. More than 80 percent of rivers across Austria had very low flows. Groundwater levels also remained low or very low at nearly 90 percent of monitoring stations.

The Leitha had already recorded 76 percent less water than average in May. In September, the average level of the Thaya at Raabs in the Waidhofen an der Thaya district was 89 percent below its long-term average. The Kamp at Zwettl had a deficit of 85 percent, while the March at Angern in the Gänserndorf district carried 79 percent less water than usual for September.

The WWF called for a binding low-water protection programme for vulnerable rivers and more river restoration. “The persistent water shortage is putting our rivers and their biodiversity under massive pressure. The federal government and the states must protect natural water storage and restore damaged river landscapes,” WWF expert Bettina Urbanek said.