General National Id France 05 light Site name Ill between Colmar and Strasbourg Summary Next to the Ill river in Alsace, France, a project has been initiated which combines classical flood protection (e.g. dyke construction) with natural water retention measures (e.g. riparian buffers). The project aims at reducing peak flows, increasing water storage, controling erosion and improving biodiversity. It has been initiated by the Alsace Region. Light or indepth? Light NUTS Code Alsace RBD code FRC Transboundary 0 Data provider Sabine Tutte, ACTeon Source(s) Vers un schéma de gestion globale de l'Ill domaniale entre Colmar et Strasbourg, Synd'Ill Huttenheim Etude diagnostic et élaboration d'un schéma de gestion globale de l'ill domaniale et ses lits mineur et majeur Annexe 12 - Planning Schéma de gestion de l'ill 2014-2024 NWRM(s) implemented in the case study Meadows and pastures Forest riparian buffers Stream bed re-naturalization Reconnection of oxbow lakes and similar features Removal of dams and other longitudinal barriers Longitude 7.747882 Latitude 48.583148 Site information Climate zone cool temperate dry Mean rainfall 550 Mean rainfall unit mm/year Average temperature 10 Mean runoff 58 Mean runoff unit 600 - 750 mm Type Modelled/Simulated Example Monitoring maintenance Monitoring impacts effects 0 Monitoring location In-Stream Administrative annual costs 340000 Administrative annual cost information Installation of counting stations on fish passes. Monitoring parameters Stations for counting fish are installed next to barrages and hydropower plants. Performance Performance impact estimation information No information available Design & implementations Application scale River Performance timescale Immediate Area (ha) 12000 Constraints Partly dams have to be constructed or reinforced, otherwise the risk of severe inundation would not be justifiable. In order to maintain the natural mobility of the river, land of farmers has to be reallocated. Contractural arrangements 0 Design contractual arrangement Arrangement type Responsibility Role Comments Name The project has to pass the autorisation steps of the French Water Law. Moreover it has to be proven that the project is of public utility and of public interest in order to mobilize national funds Design consultation activity Activity stage Key issues Name Comments Implementation phase This is foreseen in project planning in order to educate the public. Guide "rights and duties of riparians" Design land use change Land use change type Design authority Authority type Role Responsibility Name Comments Other Initiation of the measure Region of Alsace Next to the initiation of the measures, the region is also responsible for financing Local water authority Financing AERM (Agence de l'eau Rhin-Meuse) one of the main project financers Other Financing Conseils Généraux du Bas et Haut Rhin touristic development Other Financing ADEME (Environment and Energy Agency) Financial support of hydropower projects (deconstruction off barrages, installation of fish passes...) Other Other communes Maintenance/ development of touristic activities and communal hydropower stations syndicats communes Lessons, risks, implications... Key lessons This management plan combines classical flood protection measures (construction of dykes, automatisation/optimization of barrages) with NWRM. Since the plan is not fully implemented yet, it is difficult to have information on success (especially quantitative data) and monitoring. However, ecosystem services are taken into account to justify the measures. Financing difficulties information Since the project is in the implementation phase, there is no sufficient information. Success factor(s) Success factor type Success factor role Comments Financing Financing type Comments EU-funds: Rural development funds Support of sustainable farming (crop rotation, green cover...). Local funds Renovation of dykes, touristic development. Sub-national funds Publicity, support of hydropower, touristic development. Sub-national funds Renovation of barrages, NWRM, Agro-environmental measures. National funds Support of hydropower projects. Barrier Barrier type Barrier role Comments Since the project is in the implementation phase, there is no sufficient information. Driver Driver type Driver role Comments Legal obligations main driver The good ecological status of the Ill has to be achieved. Past flooding events main driver Due to regular floods in winter and spring there are severe damages on pastures and fields. Valuable agricultural land is lost (approx. 150 ha in 10 years). Agriculture is a very important economic branch with a gross margin of 16 million € Public pressure main driver Flood protection is partly missing for entire villages (Kogenheim 1000 inhabitants). Dykes have weak points and need to be renovated. Balancing different objectives secondary driver Water and terrestrial hiking pathways are missing. Barrages are not passable, and dangerous due to a lack of signalisation. Fishing associations wish a better accessibility to the river. Financing share Financing share type Share Comments Cannot be said at the moment. The financing partners listed above are potential sources for financing. View Policy, general governance and design targets Policy description The flood protection of commuities and fields is partly unsufficient. Due to erosion there is a remarkable loss of usable agricultural surface. Barrages and hydropower plants disturb the sediment transport of the river and are not passable for fish and boats. A natural alluvial forest is often missing and shall be restored for water quality improvement and fight against invasive species. Quantified objectives The flood protection for some communities is missing, barrages and hydropower plants are not passable for fish and boats. The mobility of the river shall be preserved without encouraging further erosion. Therefore a land allocation process starts, alluvial forests are planted (68 km) and where possible barrages and bank stabilisations are deconstructed. Moreover, 15 hydraulic annexes are reconnected to the river in order to improve water storage capacity and solve water distribution problems. A discharge rill is constructed to the forest near Colmar in order to inundate the wood during flood events and protect fields and communities. Part of wider plan 0 Policy target Target purpose Peak-flow reduction Increase Water Storage Erosion Control Improved Biodiversity Oher Societal Benefits Policy pressure Pressure directive Relevant pressure Policy area Policy area type Policy area focus Name Comments Policy impact Impact directive Relevant impact Policy wider plan Wider plan type Wider plan focus Name Comments Policy requirement directive Requirement directive Specification Socio-economic Direct benefits information During the project the tourism branch is supported by improved water/ terrestrial trekking ways, better recreational spaces (bivouacs, camping, hotel restaurant access). Ancillary benefits information Without the management plan, 6.1 - 8 Mio € per year have to be foreseen as costs for floods. Costs investment 12500000 Costs investment information 10 to 15 million Euros: plantation of forests, land acquisition, dyke renovation. Costs operation maintenance No data available Costs total 25500000 Costs total information 19 to 32 million Euros: Next to NWRMs, construction costs for dykes and improvement of barrages and facilities appear. Moreover, the touristic branch is supported by several projects, and hydropower is encouraged as well. Compensations annual 2000000 Compensations annual information Support of farmers by agro-environmental measures (encouragement of green cover, pastures, meadows, crop rotation). Compensations scheme information The agricultural compensations made in the context of EU CAP Pillar 2. Economic costs additional 300000 Information on Economic costs additional Total costs for publicity Information on Ecosystem improved biodiversity Control campaigns for Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweed; plantation of alluvial forests (high species diversity due to diverse habitats). Information on Ecosystem provisioning services Better efficiency of hydropower plants due to improved sediment balance. Information on Ecosystem impact climate regulation No information available Biophysical impacts Information on retained water By reconnecting hydraulic annexes, installing discharge rills to flood forests and reallocation of land neighboring the river, the water retention capacity gets increased. Information on runoff reduction This shall be achieved by natural bank stabilisation and deconstruction of old barrages. By purchasing land a "mobility space" for the river shall be guaranteed. Information on Maintenance baseflow This shall be achieved by automatisation of barrages and optimized operation. Information on Restoring hydraulic connections Connections are restored. Water quality overall improvements N/A info Information on Water quality overall improvements This shall be achieved by restoring 68 km of alluvial forests next to the Ill. Soil quality overall soil improvements N/A info Full Context Pathway(aka Context) Default view Area(aka Level or Site) ALL