A woman takes a dip in Lake Geneva at sunrise in Geneva, Switzerland. All the proposals shared during a similar assessment in 2005 would have led to a massive movement of sludge in the lakes, which would upset their sensitive ecosystem. Anja Niedringhaus/Associated Press file Switzerland’s deep lakes are known for their postcard-worthy beauty and placid, pristine waters.
Now, the government has revealed that many of the country’s lakes have been serving as holding places for ammunition, some for more than 100 years. As it seeks solutions, the country’s defense procurement agency has announced a competition: The three best entries on how to rid the lakes of the munitions will share a cash prize of 50,000 Swiss francs – or about $58,000. From 1918 to 1964, the Swiss disposed of munitions in lakes around the country, including Lake Lucerne, Lake Thun, Lake Brienz and others.
Some of the munitions were surplus, while others were outdated, rejected or even in perfect condition. They lie roughly 500 to 700 feet below the surface of the lakes, the competition announcement said. The government noted that ongoing monitoring has not found that the submerged ammunition is releasing pollutants, but it still wants to be a step ahead, in case lake pollution becomes a concern in the future.
The goal is to “increasingly involve academia and industry in the considerations on how environmentally friendly and safe recovery of deep lake ammunition could be carried out, should this ever become an issue,” the statement said. Switzerland has been carrying out water and sediment analyses since 2006, to ensure that the munitions are not affecting the delicate ecosystem of the lakes. The nation has been grappling with how to remove the ammunition from the lakes for at least 20 years.
All the proposals shared during a similar assessment in 2005 would have led to a massive movement of sludge in the lakes, which would upset their sensitive ecosystem. The ammunition is covered “by a fine sediment layer” up to six feet thick, the statement said. Moving the sediment could lead to depletion of oxygen, which is already scarce at that depth.
This would damage lake ecosystems. Other issues with removing the munitions from their holding places include the lack of visibility underwater, the risk of explosion, the depth of the water, and the size and weight of the munitions, some of which weigh up to 110 pounds. The variety of metals used to build the ammunition also poses problems; some of it is made of iron and is magnetic, but other components are made of copper, brass or aluminum.
The Swiss agency asked that all entrants recognize these challenges before submitting ideas. Some of the estimated 4,500 tons of inert ammunition in Lake Neuchâtel comes from long-term Swiss air force exercises at the air firing range in Forel, a 2004 study revealed. Such exercises were suspended in the area in 2021.
Another source of the ammunition was an explosion at a munitions depot on the Rotsee in October 1916. The explosion “sent hand grenades flying into the surrounding area and the lake,” according to the summary of another ammunition study. More than 8,000 grenades are still in the water, while about 1,500 have been recovered.
The competition is accepting entries until Feb. 6, and the winners will be announced in April. The statement noted that ideas presented by the winning entries would not be implemented immediately but could be used to launch research projects.
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