Case study:Upper Emscher

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Location: 51° 29' 43.59" N, 7° 32' 33.65" E

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Project overview

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Status	Complete
Project web site
Themes	Habitat and biodiversity, Hydromorphology
Country	Germany
Main contact forename	Mechthild
Main contact surname	Semrau
Main contact user ID	User:EGLV
Contact organisation	Emschergenossenschaft
Contact organisation web site	http://eglv.de
Partner organisations
Parent multi-site project	Emscher restoration
This is a parent project encompassing the following projects	No

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Project summary

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Part of the integrated river basin management for the Emscher Region (865 km², 2.700 inhabitants/ km²) is the revitalization of the river Emscher and its tributaries. Due to industrialization the waterbodies were systematically developed as open wastewater sewers in the beginning of the 20th century. Economic and technical alternatives such as closed sewer systems could not be implemented due to constant subsidence caused by coal mining. Momentarily, the river system is being restructured in order to enable the Emscher to once again be a fully functioning, continuous water-based ecosystem with typical topology and vegetation. An ecological concept based on the assumption of a non-interrupted river as a connection from the source to the mouth has been developed.

Studies on the feasibility of restructuring the Emscher show, that due to coal mining, industrial impacts and population changes the “original” conditions can never be reached again. It will not be possible to return the Emscher to its original, meandering state. Therefore, the reference conditions are no direct goals for the river restoration, but they give orientation in the planning procedure.

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Catchment and subcatchment Select a catchment/subcatchment Edit the catchment and subcatchment details (affects all case studies in this subcatchment) Catchment River basin district Rhine River basin Rhine Subcatchment River name Emscher Area category Area (km2) 865865 km² <br />86,500 ha <br /> Maximum altitude category Maximum altitude (m) Dominant geology quarternary, holocene Ecoregion Central Plains Dominant land cover Urban, Intensive agriculture (arable), Grassland, Broadleaf/mixed woodland (semi natural) Waterbody ID DE_NRW_2772 Other case studies in this subcatchment: Flood detention basin (HRB) Ickern-Mengede Site Edit site Name Upper Emscher section WFD water body codes DE_NRW_2772_64190 WFD (national) typology Type 18: small loess-loam dominated lowland river WFD water body name Emscher Pre-project morphology concrete lined bed and bank, Straightened, Over deepened Reference morphology Actively meandering, groundwater dominated Desired post project morphology Low gradient passively meandering, enabled contact between floodplain and water body Heavily modified water body Yes National/international site designation Local/regional site designations Protected species present Yes Invasive species present Yes Species of interest Dominant hydrology Groundwater, quick run-off Dominant substrate Clay, Silt, loam River corridor land use urban, Improved/semi-improved grassland/pasture, Broadleaf/mixed woodland (semi natural), Intensive agriculture (arable) Average bankfull channel width category 2 - 5 m Average bankfull channel width (m) Average bankfull channel depth category 0.5 - 2 m 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 1993/01/01 Works started Works completed 2013/12/31 Project completed Total cost category Total cost (k€) Benefit to cost ratio Funding sources 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 Reasons for river restoration Edit reasons for restoration Mitigation of a pressure Hydromorphology Continuity for organisms, Continuity of sediment transport, Connection to groundwaters, Quantity & dynamics of flow, Width & depth variation, Structure & condition of riparian/lake shore zones Biology Fish, Invertebrates, Macrophytes, Create a new natural habitat with continuity for benthos, fishes and other organisms Physico-chemical Other reasons for the project Landscape enhancement, Recreation Measures Edit Measures Structural measures Bank/bed modifications Removal of concrete banks and bed, Opening the river about 2 km, Bed-raising, Riverbed widening and diversification Floodplain / River corridor Increase water retention area, connection to wider floodplain, create new wetland habitats Planform / Channel pattern Removal of concrete bank protection, Introducing sinuosity Other Non-structural measures Management interventions Social measures (incl. engagement) Intensive information for the public, creation of new bicyclepath 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 Channel pattern/planform No Yes Yes No No Awaiting results Continuity for organisms No Yes Yes No No Awaiting results Structure & condition of riparian/lake shore zones No Yes Yes No No Awaiting results Substrate conditions No Yes Yes No No Awaiting results Width & depth variation No Yes Yes No No Awaiting results 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 Additional links and references Edit links and references Link Description Supplementary Information Edit Supplementary Information