Drought leaves Lungau farmers struggling with water shortages

Farmers in Salzburg’s Lungau region are still struggling with water shortages caused by persistent drought, ORF Salzburg reported. Wildfire regulations have been lifted in five of the province’s six districts, but the warning remains in Lungau.

On Lasaberg above Tamsweg, farmer Johannes Wieland has faced a worsening water supply in recent months. A spring above his farm, developed about 50 years ago, dried up at the start of the year. A neighbour initially helped, and Wieland laid a temporary pumping line. At first, he needed to pump water only every few months; more recently, he had to do so as often as twice a week.

To secure water for people and livestock, four new springs around the farm were tapped and connected to a shared collection chamber. Water is then pumped about 70 metres uphill to a storage tank. Wieland said the new sources were already beginning to dry up as well.

The municipality of Ramingstein has also been affected, with mountain farmers dealing with water shortages since the summer. The municipality has provided water containers that farmers can collect and fill when needed, Mayor Leonhard Kocher said. Officials are hoping for rain in the coming weeks and a snowy winter.