Overview
- The five lakes were formally connected and opened in a ceremony on Monday, June 29, 2026, attended by the minister-presidents of Brandenburg and Saxony.
- Three new navigable canals — the Sornoer, Rosendorfer and Ilse canals — now allow continuous boat travel between Senftenberger, Geierswalder, Partwitzer, Sedlitzer and Großräschener lakes.
- The contiguous water area is reported between about 5,100 and 5,300 hectares and bathing is allowed in the five lakes where shore work and nature protections do not prohibit it.
- Government bodies and the LMBV say roughly €941 million has been spent on reclamation since the early 1990s and that further lakes will be linked in later phases though some remain closed after landslides.
- Tourism officials hope the network will raise overnight stays toward a 1.5 million‑per‑year target but warn local harbors, hotels and services must expand before the region sees the full economic gains.