Boats return to Lac des Brenets after three-month drought

Boats are running again on Lac des Brenets, a lake on the French-Swiss border, after more than three months of drought. The lake’s shipping company resumed service on Monday, SRF reported.

The water level is still about 2.5 metres below normal. Captain Yvan Durig returned to the lake on Monday, his first trip since July 20. “It’s a joy. Life is starting again,” he told Swiss broadcaster RTS.

Images of the lake dried up to a meadow drew international attention. Durig said the drought lasted longer than in 2023, when it continued for two and a half months.

The drought has put the family business’s future at risk. Durig said he laid off staff over the summer and also had to use short-time work. Service is scheduled to run until November 5, but will depend on the weather and temperatures.