WADDINXVEEN, Netherlands -- Jeroen Wouda and Dirk Boom move slowly along a Dutch dike, poking the bone-dry surface with metal rods while scanning the parched grass for any green patches that might reveal a hidden leak.

The scene recalls the legendary Dutch boy who sealed a dike breach with his finger, yet these inspectors now search for drought-induced cracks in the Netherlands' vital flood barriers. The ongoing European drought has also driven intense wildfires across France and Spain while dropping the Danube and Rhine to historic lows.

Modern patrols replace the story's simple fix by logging potential issues in an app, allowing quick repairs by the proper teams.

In the Netherlands and nearby Germany, vessels on the Rhine and its branches must reduce loads to avoid grounding in shallow channels. Farmers under irrigation limits warn of smaller fruit yields and higher prices this year.

Some houseboat residents now find their floating homes settled on exposed river sand.

Peter van Duijvendijk serves as flood defense manager for the Schieland en de Krimpenerwaard water board, one of 21 such groups handling flood control across the Netherlands.

His 140 volunteers inspect roughly 100 kilometers of dikes and report concerns. This dry season has brought no major problems so far, yet vigilance continues into autumn.

The volunteers act as the organization's eyes and ears on the dikes, Van Duijvendijk told The Associated Press.

Many inland dikes, such as the peat structure near Waddinxveen east of The Hague, rely on moisture for strength. This area lies about 5 meters below sea level.

Dry conditions sap moisture from the peat and reduce its stability, Van Duijvendijk noted. Weakened peat raises the risk of seepage that could drain the waterway into the reclaimed polder land.

Europe's main rivers suffer from reduced flow.

In Cologne, Germany, walkers cross sections of the dried Rhine bed, a key route for freight.

On Saturday the Rhine level in Cologne fell below the October 2018 record. Marcel Beck of RheinCargo described the effect on shipping as devastating.

A vessel normally carrying 2,000 to 2,500 metric tons now manages only 400 to 600 metric tons, he said, forcing major adjustments across the transport network.

In Nijmegen, a rusted bicycle and shopping cart lie on the exposed bed of the Waal, the chief Dutch branch of the Rhine, while houseboats rest nearly on dry sand.

Frans Schilte has watched low-water periods lengthen in recent years from about one month to three. His steel-hulled boat now sits on the sandy bottom.

It lists slightly but poses no serious issue, Schilte said, calling the drought a clear downside of climate change.

The Netherlands, with roughly a third of its land below sea level, balances winter flood prevention against summer water needs for crops and canals.

Annual water supplies are adequate overall, said Vince Kaandorp of Deltares, yet distribution across seasons remains uneven. Winter drainage keeps land dry but limits groundwater recharge.

Simple steps such as planting hedges can slow runoff and allow deeper infiltration, Kaandorp added. Officials explore ways to turn soil into sponges that retain moisture year-round.

Reclaimed lowlands in the western Netherlands increasingly face salinity during droughts, troubling growers of fruit and vegetables. Some regions now bar farmers from drawing canal water for irrigation.

It is an extremely challenging year for growers, said John Kusters of the Netherlands Fruit Growers' Organization.

Associated Press journalists Ahmad Seir in Nijmegen, Netherlands, Daniel Niemann in Cologne, Germany, and Stefanie Dazio in Berlin contributed to this report.