Willa Rubin

So now everyone is sort of taking turns, making agreements, essentially competing for an increasingly limited resource. On the other hand, without water from the spray, there would be that Swiss cheese landscape. So that's kind of the balancing act when trying to restore nature, but with limited natural resources. That is sort of a cash 22 to all of this, huh? Yeah, exactly.

And for the Cottbusser OSE, this has contributed to why the flooding has taken a while, which has also contributed to another problem. the shoreline. Because ideally, you'd have to fill a pit with water very quickly. Why is that? Like, picture this. You have groundwater seeping into the lake from the bottom and sides of the pit, and then pipes and channels, they bring river water into the pit.

And for the Cottbusser OSE, this has contributed to why the flooding has taken a while, which has also contributed to another problem. the shoreline. Because ideally, you'd have to fill a pit with water very quickly. Why is that? Like, picture this. You have groundwater seeping into the lake from the bottom and sides of the pit, and then pipes and channels, they bring river water into the pit.

And for the Cottbusser OSE, this has contributed to why the flooding has taken a while, which has also contributed to another problem. the shoreline. Because ideally, you'd have to fill a pit with water very quickly. Why is that? Like, picture this. You have groundwater seeping into the lake from the bottom and sides of the pit, and then pipes and channels, they bring river water into the pit.

And together, these put pressure on the pit, which then stabilizes the shoreline around it.

And together, these put pressure on the pit, which then stabilizes the shoreline around it.

And together, these put pressure on the pit, which then stabilizes the shoreline around it.

And shorelines can also be unstable because of the materials on the sidewalls or of how the waves work once there is water in the pit lake. There is a lot to monitor. And the shoreline has been this ongoing challenge. And the stakes of figuring that out are high.

And shorelines can also be unstable because of the materials on the sidewalls or of how the waves work once there is water in the pit lake. There is a lot to monitor. And the shoreline has been this ongoing challenge. And the stakes of figuring that out are high.

And shorelines can also be unstable because of the materials on the sidewalls or of how the waves work once there is water in the pit lake. There is a lot to monitor. And the shoreline has been this ongoing challenge. And the stakes of figuring that out are high.

The city of Cottbus, also the German state that it's in, Brandenburg, even private businesses, they have invested a lot of money into making this lake accessible to the public. There are plans for houses and businesses by the shoreline. Millions of euros have already been spent on a bike path around the lake. So they are determined to figure this out with more time.

The city of Cottbus, also the German state that it's in, Brandenburg, even private businesses, they have invested a lot of money into making this lake accessible to the public. There are plans for houses and businesses by the shoreline. Millions of euros have already been spent on a bike path around the lake. So they are determined to figure this out with more time.

The city of Cottbus, also the German state that it's in, Brandenburg, even private businesses, they have invested a lot of money into making this lake accessible to the public. There are plans for houses and businesses by the shoreline. Millions of euros have already been spent on a bike path around the lake. So they are determined to figure this out with more time.

And that's what I was struck by as we drove around the lake. Even though the lake is still in progress, there were already people there just sitting by their cars, beers in hand, enjoying the view. They're already part of the way there.

And that's what I was struck by as we drove around the lake. Even though the lake is still in progress, there were already people there just sitting by their cars, beers in hand, enjoying the view. They're already part of the way there.

And that's what I was struck by as we drove around the lake. Even though the lake is still in progress, there were already people there just sitting by their cars, beers in hand, enjoying the view. They're already part of the way there.

Translation help from Alex Passeltiener, my boyfriend, who speaks German.

Translation help from Alex Passeltiener, my boyfriend, who speaks German.

Translation help from Alex Passeltiener, my boyfriend, who speaks German.