From left to right: State Secretary Silvia Bender, IGB researcher Peter Casper, Mario Schrumpf as head of the Stechlin-Ruppiner Land Nature Park and IGB department head Mark Gessner spoke on site about the development of Lake Stechlin. I Photo: Sarah Bude
The politician and the IGB scientists also agreed on the matter with the appropriate 1.5-metre distance: It will be important to stop the current negative development of Lake Stechlin and to restore the typical ecological conditions of the clear water lake. "The Ministry of the Environment will provide the greatest possible support in the search for solutions," affirmed the State Secretary.
Mark Gessner had previously explained the dramatic development of Lake Stechlin to Silvia Bender: long-term measurements from IGB show that the lake now has a phosphate concentration four times higher in spring than ten years ago. The average depth of visibility is now less than six metres; 20 years ago it was nine metres. The oxygen depletion in deep water is particularly critical. It is so strong that the zones that first appeared a few years ago, without any oxygen at all, are expanding from the bottom of the water to ever shallower areas of the lake from year to year.
For some time now, researchers at IGB have initiated a dialogue with stakeholders from science, water and nature conservation authorities, politics, voluntary nature conservation, restoration and others, in order to sound out possible solutions for a rapid improvement in water quality. A broad consensus has emerged that rapid action is needed. This applies in particular to the conservation of the Fontane maraine, a fish species that occurs exclusively in Lake Stechlin.
