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 water bodies were systematically developed as open wastewater sewers in the beginning of the 20^th 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.

The upper Emscher is a small river, in parts still a creek of a little more than 12 km in length. Its source is located in a small forest south of Dortmund. Flowing northwards the restored waterbody passes fields, shrubs and several towns/quarters of Dortmund as well as smaller industrial parks. Due to the many restrictions by buildings or infrastructure several box-culverts with natural substrates had to be built. The longest in Dortmund-Aplerbeck has a length of 120 m. Since there was hardly any space at all, the culvert and the sewage pipes were constructed more or less simultaneously, placing the culvert on top of the pipes.

Several flood water detention basins have been constructed along the watercourse. The biggest of which, the " Phoenix-See " (Phoenix-Lake), is mostly used as recreation area. Bicycle and pedestrian paths as well as a harbour for sailing boats have been placed in and around the Lake.

Because of the restrictions the Emscher is usually not meandering, but mostly in a more or less woven bed which has been sharply incised during the beginning of the 20^th century. Except for the part parallel to the Phoenix-Lake and the many urban areas restricting the width and natural dynamics, natural succession can be allowed (sometimes only in the meadow, not on the slopes), thus creating different habitats of alder forest, Typha and Carex reeds, sedge, floodgrass and Potamogeton in the compensatory floodplain.

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Image gallery

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Upper Emscher in Dortmund Schüren during construction

Upper Emscher with lots of restrictions on both sides

Typha-reeds as seen during normal water levels

16 m³ discharge, nearly flooding the detention basin

View towards the detention basin phoenix-lake

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 Floodplain / River corridor Increase water retention area, Connection to wider floodplain, Wetland habitat Planform / Channel pattern Removal of concrete bank protection, Adding sinuosity, Channel widening Other Non-structural measures Management interventions Social measures (incl. engagement) Information for the public, New bicycle path 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 Fish No No Yes Yes No Awaiting results Invertebrates Yes Yes Yes Yes No Awaiting results Macrophytes No Yes Yes Yes No Awaiting results Angiosperms No Yes Yes No No Awaiting results 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 Temperature No Yes Yes Yes No Awaiting results Nutrient concentrations No Yes Yes Yes No Awaiting results Oxygen balance No Yes Yes Yes No Awaiting results PH No Yes Yes Yes No Awaiting results Salinity No Yes Yes Yes No Awaiting results 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