On June 26, 2025, the Chair of Hydrogeology and Hydrochemistry at TU Bergakademie Freiberg hosted a Symposium on the Management of Sediments from Lakes and Dams at the Georgius Agricola University Library in Freiberg. Under the moderation of Prof. Dr. Traugott Scheytt (Chair of Hydrogeology and Hydrochemistry) and Ms. Christel Pfefferkorn (PICON GmbH), legal, practical and economic challenges for the management of subaquatic sediments were discussed in four thematic blocks.

The first edition of such an event met with great interest, which was confirmed by the number of 64 participants. Contributions from the German Dam Committee e.V. German ICOLD, the Directorate-General for Waterways and Shipping, the State Dam Administration of the Free State of Saxony and the Steinbeis Transfer Center Water, Landscape, Environment drew attention to the need for a management strategy. The current legal situation regarding the planning and implementation of measures for the utilization and processing of subaqueous sediments was also discussed. SAXONIA Standortentwicklungs- und -verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH and the Institute for Glass and Glass Technology presented examples of practical recycling options. An exchange of views following each presentation and a final discussion helped to ensure that issues were discussed and networks were established.

The symposium was initiated by the ongoing work of the recomine project ResuS – Recycling of Sub-Hydric Sediments and enriched by specialist presentations from the project partners (Chair of Hydrogeology and Hydrochemistry, GeoWiD GmbH, PICON GmbH, KI Keramik-Institut GmbH, Veolia Klärschlammverwertung Deutschland GmbH) and the recomine alliance coordinators.

Set up: Clemens Hartmann (TU Bergakademie Freiberg)