Federal State of Berlin: Water in Lusatia (WasserKultur)

For decades, the discharge of the Spree was artificially increased by the inflow of the pumped mine water, thus ensuring continuous water supply to Brandenburg and Berlin. With the shutdown and subsequent flooding of the open pit lignite mines, water availability in the downstream areas of Lusatia will decrease significantly because:

• the water availability in Berlin depends significantly on the quality and quantity of the Spree discharge,
• groundwater and Spree water are used to flood the open pit mines,
• projected climate changes will lead to a decrease in groundwater recharge during summer months, resulting in a decrease of the natural water supply.

• a quantitative analysis of the current strategy of recultivation with respect to its impact on groundwater recharge and
• the assessment of the influences of open pit mining activities and climate change on the water availability in the region.  

WasserKultur aims to improve the groundwater resources in Lusatia, considering competing water consumer interests, regional development plans, and climate change.