Federal Waterways Act (WaStrG).

The present law is governing the classification, management, use, maintenance, and development of federal waterways—including inland waterways and sea waterways that serve commercial, passenger, sport and leisure navigation. It defines what constitutes a federal waterway, how waterways can be added or removed from that system, and sets out the responsibilities of the federal government (primarily through the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport and the Waterways and Shipping Administration) for ensuring navigability, safety, and environmental considerations in waterway operation and maintenance. The law also regulates public use of waterways, obligations of landowners adjacent to waterways, procedures for infrastructure changes and facilities, and enforcement provisions. Recent amendments, including those in Article 3 of the 2025 implementing act of Directive (EU) 2023/2413, update procedural and substantive provisions to align federal approvals and planning processes with new EU requirements affecting environmental permitting and coordination with other national laws such as the Federal Immission Control Act and the Water Resources Act.