Switzerland is looking for ideas to retrieve dumped World War I munitions in lakes

The Swiss military appeared to have disposed of munitions in several lakes across Switzerland – including Lake Thun, Lake Brienz and Lake Lucene – between 1918 and 1964.

The river basins are located in the Swiss Alps known for their serene natural beauty and environmental sensitivity.

While the Swiss authorities were aware of the submerged munitions in the country’s rivers, awareness of the consequences was lacking.

Now officials in Switzerland have introduced a competition to motivate people to come up with solutions to remove these old munitions from the deep waters of the country’s serene lakes.

The top three entries proposing the safest and most environmentally friendly ways to retrieve old bombs will be awarded a shared prize pool worth 50,000 Swiss francs ($57,800), CNN reported.

Safe, environmentally friendly recovery of over 100-year-old ammunition

Earlier this month on August 7, the Federal Office for Defense Procurement (Armasuisse) announced plans to seek new methods for the environmentally friendly and safe recovery of ammunition from Swiss waters through an ideas competition.

The officials noted that while the submitted ideas may not be implemented immediately, they could serve as a basis for further research or investigation.

Munitions plummeted at the end of World War I, until the first decades of the Cold War included problematic, surplus or obsolete munitions in perfect condition, or even rejected production lots.

Most of this ammunition lies at depths of 150 to 220 meters in Lake Thun, Lake Brienz and Lake Lucerne.

“With the launch of an ideas competition, Armasuisse wishes to increasingly involve academia and industry in considering how environmentally friendly and safe recovery of deep sea munitions can be carried out should this ever become an issue,” the statement noted.

“This could be the case if, contrary to all expectations, the release of pollutants from submerged munitions during ongoing seawater monitoring should be established.”

Dumped bombs in lakes pose a threat to security and the environment in Switzerland

At the time, munitions dumping seemed practical given that Switzerland, like many other countries after the world wars, had massive stockpiles of surplus munitions that needed to be disposed of.

Immersing them in deep lakes was seen as a viable solution as it was believed that the cold, deep water would contain potential hazards and prevent the munitions from causing damage.

However, dumping these munitions is of concern today because of the environmental impact and security risks.

The ammunition may emit toxic chemicals or heavy metals, resulting in an increase in pollutants in the lake water. It poses a threat to the ecosystem of the Swiss lakes.

Another major risk is accidental explosions, especially if disturbed by natural events or human activity, such as deep-sea exploration or fishing. Some of these munitions weigh up to 50 kg (110 lb).

Recovery of the old munitions is difficult due to poor visibility and the depth of the lakes beyond these bombs made of non-magnetic materials, making them difficult to locate and retrieve.

The official statement highlighting the 2005 evaluation of possible recovery solutions observed “munitions recovery available at the time would lead to massive mud turbulence and high risks to the lake’s sensitive ecosystem.”

The competition will remain open until February 6, 2025, and the winners are expected to be announced in April.