Wednesday, November 11, 2026
The news that moves freight
Tracker Checked 11 Nov, 02:39 UTC

Rhine water levels at Kaub

Key numbers

Water level at Kaub
15 cm

▼ 1 · Nov 10, 2026

Kaub 7-day average
15.7 cm

▼ 21.3 · Nov 10, 2026

Water level at Duisburg-Ruhrort
142 cm

▼ 23 · Nov 10, 2026

Over time

Water level at Kaub (cm)
5915Oct 13, 26Nov 10, 2620 cm · Oct 13, 26 · added from published history19 cm · Oct 20, 26 · added from published history59 cm · Oct 27, 26 · added from published history16 cm · Nov 3, 26 · added from published history15 cm · Nov 10, 26
Kaub 7-day average (cm)
3713.3Oct 20, 26Nov 10, 2613.3 cm · Oct 20, 26 · added from published history30.3 cm · Oct 27, 26 · added from published history37 cm · Nov 3, 26 · added from published history15.7 cm · Nov 10, 26
Water level at Duisburg-Ruhrort (cm)
219137Oct 13, 26Nov 10, 26145 cm · Oct 13, 26 · added from published history137 cm · Oct 20, 26 · added from published history219 cm · Oct 27, 26 · added from published history165 cm · Nov 3, 26 · added from published history142 cm · Nov 10, 26

Lighter points are earlier figures added from published records. Breaks in a line are gaps in the data. Download the data (CSV)

The facts

  • Kaub gauge: 15 cm at 00:00 CET on 10 November, 14 cm at 10:45 CET the same day. As of 2026-11-10. PEGELONLINE, Kaub
  • Kaub rose briefly in late October, to 61 cm at 00:00 on 29 October, then fell back to 27 cm by 1 November; every midnight reading from 2 November has been below 25 cm, with a low of 5 cm on 8 November. As of 2026-11-10. PEGELONLINE, Kaub
  • Duisburg-Ruhrort gauge: 142 cm at 00:00 CET on 10 November, down from 242 cm on 28 October. As of 2026-11-10. PEGELONLINE, Duisburg-Ruhrort
  • S&P Global: "barges typically need to cut their cargo loads by up to 75% when WSV readings drop below 75 cm". WSV is the German federal waterways agency that runs the gauges. As of 2026-10-01. S&P Global
  • S&P Global reported Kaub at a new all-time low on 1 October, with shipping through the Kaub stretch otherwise at a standstill apart from two specialist chemical barges. As of 2026-10-01. S&P Global
  • Maersk low-water surcharge (Benelux barge transport): a loading guarantee can no longer be given with Kaub "falling below 81cm or Duisburg-Ruhrort below 181 cm". Kaub tiers start below 151 cm; the top tier, below 31 cm, is EUR 1,335 per 20' and EUR 1,560 per 40' laden container. The notice says "These surcharges are valid till further notice." As of 2026-08-12. Maersk

What changed

  1. Tracking began.

Why we track this

Added from the tracker list. Kaub, in the Middle Rhine gorge, is the shallowest point on the main barge route between the ARA ports (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp) and southern Germany and Switzerland, so its gauge sets how much a barge can carry. When it falls, barges part-load, rates rise and carriers add low-water surcharges on container barge moves, which forwarders pass on to shippers or replace with rail and road. Duisburg-Ruhrort covers the Lower Rhine and Europe's largest inland port.

Sources