The floodgate closes at a water level of 7.50 m at Maxau.
It may be asked for via telephone 0721/19429.
The unique floodgate ensures that the Karlsruhe Rhine Harbor area is safe from flooding.
After bad flood experiences in the year of 1882, the harbor area was filled up by approx. 3 meters. Thus, the area was 20 centimeters below the highest flood level of 1882.
In order to protect the harbor against even higher water levels, a floodgate was already planned then, but not realised.
Instead, a dam was built around the harbor area (circular harbor dam). It was supposed to close the total harbor area against the low-lying area and should have a crown height of 80 centimeters above the hightest Rhine flood of 1882 (according to the civil engineer’s paper called “Bauingenieurzeitung” of November 9, 1901).
The construction measures along the upper Rhine have resulted in a loss of detention space for flood water. This is why there have been many of Rhine floods during the last 30 years, during which the harbor area with its industrial, transshipment and trading plants have been flooded higher and more often than in former times.
Due to the fact that the flooding of the mineral oil and liquefied gas storerooms would not only cause material damage, but also considerable environmental damage, the city of Karlsruhe on behalf of the county of Baden-Württemberg has examined the possibilities for an improved flood protection in 1982.
Thus, the plans for a flap gate inside the junction basin with a 600 m distance to the Rhine were created.
In 1984, the local council has accepted the agreement with the county to build such a flood gate.