Bridges, depth of water, petrol refuelling points...

Which bridges require a mast that folds down (if too high)? Which areas should be avoided if your boat has a large draught and where to find petrol stations?

Water level indicator

Depth of water

Minimum depth of water of the shipping lane (mean water level)

  • UHW up to Plaue (kilometre 66.7) 3.00 m
  • PHv, kilometre 0.0 to 6.0 = 2.00 m
  • PHv, kilometre 6.0 to 29.9 =       2.10 m
  • KHv depth of 3 m up to km 1.1 and depth of 1.3 m between kilometre 1.1 and kilometre 3.25
  • Breitlingsee Lake 1.8 m
  • Möserscher See Lake 1 m
  • BHv 1.9 m, except for Domstreng (1.4 m) and Näthewinde 1.3 m)
  • BrK 1.5 m
  • BRW 2 m (after Pählstreng 1.2 m, after Lünower Streng 0.7 m)
  • Emster Kanal and its lake distrikt approx. 1 m

Depth of the shipping lane at average low water level (frequent in summer)

  • UHW after Plaue downstream on the Havel River 1.6 m 

Motorboat on Havel River

Speed limit

Speed limit on national waterways ('Bundeswasserstrassen') in Germany

  • UHW, PHv and BRW 12 kph/7.5 mph  (while passing small thoroughfares between lakes 6 kph/3.5mph)
  • KHv: 8 kph (5mph)
  • BHv and BrK: 8 kph (5 mph)
  • Branches of the Havel River: 5 kph (3mph)

Shoreline zoning laws for protection of lakes and waterways of lake-like proportions (min. width of 250 m)

  • Speed limit outside a zone of 100 m: 25 kph (15.5 mph), inside the zone: 12 kph (7.5 mph)

Speed limit on public waterways ('Landeswasserstrassen')

  • Emster Kanal, shipping lane and within the zone 6 kph (3.5 mph)
  • Netzener See Lake and Klostersee Lake outside the zone 12 kph (7.5 mph) 
Näthewinde bridge Brandenburg

Air draught

Minimum air draught at mean water level/years 2001–2010

  • UHW 5,18 m (Schleusenbrücke Vorstadtschleuse Brandenburg Nordkammer); 5,43 Südkammer
  • PHv: 5.08 m (railway bridge in Werder (Havel))
  • Mouth of Petzinsee Lake (railway bridge in Caputh) 4.03 m
  • Mouth of Lake Glindower See (Strengbrücke bridge) 4.95 m
  • BrK: 2.72 m (Steintorbrücke bridge)
  • Emster Kanal and its lake district 2.90 m

» Daily updated water level information by the WSA Brandenburg