Case study:LIFE+ Traisen

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Location: 48° 21' 46.32" N, 15° 52' 20.50" E

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Project overview

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Status	Complete
Project web site
Themes	Environmental flows and water resources, Fisheries, Habitat and biodiversity, Monitoring
Country	Austria
Main contact forename	Florian
Main contact surname	Seidl
Main contact user ID
Contact organisation
Contact organisation web site	http://life-traisen.at
Partner organisations
Parent multi-site project
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects	No

Aerial image of the LIFE+ Traisen project area

Project summary

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The Traisen is one of the largest rivers in Lower Austria. During construction of the Danube power plant Altenwörth, the Traisen was lengthened by 7.5 km and nowadays empties into the Danube downstream of the power plant. The riverbed used to run in an even, straight line through the floodplain between Traismauer and Zwentendorf. This section of river offered little habitat for typical animals and plants and was not connected to the surrounding landscape or the bodies of water in the floodplain. The ability of fish to pass through the area was complicated by obstacles and in some places impossible.

A natural river course with densely vegetated banks: that’s what the area around the mouth of the Traisen in Lower Austria looks like today. This was made possible by the LIFE+ Traisen project – Austria’s largest land restoration project to date. Many endangered kinds of flora and fauna have found a new home here.

Monitoring surveys and results

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A new riverscape was created on an area of 150 hectares in the mouth section of the Traisen at the Danube power plant near Altenwörth. It is now continuously connected with its floodplain’s waterbodies. LIFE+ Traisen is one of the most comprehensive restoration projects in Central Europe. Together, the project partners made an important contribution to the nature conservation objectives of the European Union.

The riverbed was successfully completed in 2016. Over an area of 150 hectares, a regionally typical new biosphere was created that will provide an expanded habitat for a multitude of domestic animal species. In order to do this, 800,000 m3 of clay and sand and 1.9 million m3 of gravel were relocated within the floodplain area to create standing water bodies and shallow water areas. Within the construction process the river was extended by 7.6 kilometres and the estuary of the Traisen River was relocated. The LIFE+ Traisen project resulted in a unique riverscape with a mosaic of existing and new habitats. Many animal and plant species have already settled in –including numerous endangered species.

Lessons learnt

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A coalition of federal, regional and European stakeholders at the Danube made a large-scale project possble. The large dimension of the project is one of the main ecological succsess factors.

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Catchment and subcatchment Select a catchment/subcatchment Site Edit site Name WFD water body codes WFD (national) typology WFD water body name Traisen river Pre-project morphology Reference morphology Desired post project morphology Heavily modified water body No National/international site designation Austria - Geschützter Lebensraum Local/regional site designations Protected species present Yes Invasive species present Yes Species of interest Dominant hydrology Dominant substrate River corridor land use Average bankfull channel width category Average bankfull channel width (m) Average bankfull channel depth category Average bankfull channel depth (m) Mean discharge category Mean annual discharge (m3/s) Average channel gradient category Average channel gradient Average unit stream power (W/m2) Project background Edit project background Reach length directly affected (m) Project started 01/01/2009 Works started Works completed Project completed Total cost category more than 10000 k€ Total cost (k€) 3000030,000 k€ <br />30,000,000 € <br /> Benefit to cost ratio Funding sources VERBUND (15 million euros) and other financing partners: Office of the Lower Austrian Provincial Government Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Regions and Tourism EU-LIFE+ Nature and Biodiversity Fund Lower Austria Landscape Fund Lower Austri Cost for project phases Phase cost category cost exact (k€) Lead organisation Contact forename Contact surname Investigation and design Stakeholder engagement and communication Works and works supervision Post-project management and maintenance Monitoring Supplementary funding information VERBUND (15 million euros) and other financing partners: Office of the Lower Austrian Provincial Government Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Regions and Tourism EU-LIFE+ Nature and Biodiversity Fund Lower Austria Landscape Fund Lower Austrian Provincial Fishing Association viadonau Reasons for river restoration Edit reasons for restoration Mitigation of a pressure Hydromorphology Biology Physico-chemical Other reasons for the project Measures Edit Measures Structural measures Bank/bed modifications Floodplain / River corridor Within the construction process the river was extended by 7.6 kilometres and the estuary of the Traisen River was relocated Planform / Channel pattern Other Non-structural measures Management interventions Social measures (incl. engagement) Other Monitoring Hydromorphological quality elements Edit Hydromorphological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Biological quality elements Edit biological quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Physico-chemical quality elements Edit Physico-chemical quality elements Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Any other monitoring, e.g. social, economic Edit Other responses Element When monitored Type of monitoring Control site used Result Before measures After measures Qualitative Quantitative Monitoring documents Upload monitoring documents Additional documents and videos Upload additional documents Brief overview about LIFE+ Traisen Additional links and references Edit links and references Link Description Supplementary Information Edit Supplementary Information