Lake Cospuden: Ökolöwe Files Objection to Declaration Allowing Boat Traffic 

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It was hard to escape the impression that the Saxon State Directorate had chosen its timing deliberately: in mid-December, right in the middle of the Christmas rush, it published its general administrative order declaring Lake Cospuden navigable. But environmental organizations have the right to object to such proceedings. The Leipzig-based group Ökolöwe has done exactly that. However, mounting a legally sound objection is no small task. 

On Wednesday, January 7, Ökolöwe e.V. announced that it had filed a formal objection within the deadline against the Saxon State Directorate’s order, which would have opened Lake Cospuden to unrestricted motorboat traffic starting February 1, 2026. 

Due to the suspensive effect of the appeal, the lake – known locally as the “Cossi” – will, for now, not be opened to motorized boats, the organization notes. 

“We at Ökolöwe are continuing to fight against motorboats on Lake Cossi and officially lodged an appeal on Monday,” explains Tino Supplies, managing director of Ökolöwe e.V. “The state’s decision is a catastrophe for our Cossi and a slap in the face to more than 10,000 citizens who signed our petition against motorboats.” 

Despite the objection period falling squarely over the Christmas holidays, the Ökolöwe team put in extra hours to ensure the filing was completed on time. 

A Ruling Riddled With Weaknesses 

“Initial analyses of the general order already point to significant weaknesses,” explains Božena Nawka, environmental policy spokesperson for Ökolöwe e.V. “We assume that from February onward Lake Cospuden will not, in fact, be open to unlimited motorboat traffic.” 

The association says it intends to exhaust all legal options to protect the popular recreational area from engine noise and environmental damage. The two municipalities on whose territory the lake lies – Markkleeberg and Leipzig – had already made it clear in 2024 that they oppose making the popular bathing lake navigable. 

A Water Law Written for Motorboat Owners 

That such a declaration of navigability – something that makes sense primarily for genuine waterways such as large, navigable rivers – is even possible in Saxony has to do with the Saxon Water Act, last amended in 2013. At the time, the state government inserted a special provision explicitly allowing the navigability of Saxony’s former open-cast mining lakes. 

It was a legal sleight of hand with little to do with commercial inland shipping, but a great deal to do with the interests of affluent motorboat owners eager to launch their vessels on any Saxon mining lake without having to apply for permits from the responsible local water authorities. 

A textbook example of what certain political parties like to call “cutting red tape” — but which in practice amounts to stripping the municipalities responsible on the ground of their authority. One could just as well sell it under the slogan: Full speed ahead for motorboat owners.