General National Id Austria_Life_Wachau Site name Danube stretch of the Wachau Summary Within an Austrian LIFE Nature project, gravel banks have been established along the Danube in the Wachau, and dried site-arms have been reconnected. The measures aimed at improving biodiversity through providing spawning habitats, as well as controling erosion and run-off. As a particularity, the gravel used in the project stemmed from maintenance works for the shipping channel of the Danube. The project has been initiated and implemented by a local association (Arbeitskreis Wachau), which includes several communities. Light or indepth? Light NUTS Code Niederösterreich RBD code AT1000 Transboundary 0 NWRM(s) implemented in the case study Reconnection of oxbow lakes and similar features Riverbed material renaturalization Floodplain restoration and management Longitude 15.455556 Latitude 48.393333 Site information Climate zone warm temperate dry Mean rainfall 633 Mean rainfall unit mm/year Average temperature 8.4 Mean runoff 1700 Mean runoff unit 600 - 750 mm Type Case Study Info Average slope range 0-1% Monitoring maintenance Monitoring impacts effects 1 Monitoring parameters The development of bird and fish species has been monitored. Design & implementations Application scale River Basin Installation date 2008 Performance timescale Immediate Size 6 Size unit km Favourable preconditions Truncated remains of old dristributaries were available for reconnection. Gravel was available from maintenance works for the shipping channel of the Danube. Inflow volume 1700 Inflow volume unit m3/sec Peak flow rate 9750 Public consultation 1 Design contractual arrangement Arrangement type Responsibility Role Comments Name Design consultation activity Activity stage Key issues Name Comments Implementation phase Amongst others, the project has organised the Austrian LIFE-platform in 2005 and was presented at various meetings, conferences and events. The project was also awarded the first prize in the 'Milestones - Dr. Erwin Pröll future prize' in the 'In Uniso with Nature' category. Intensive media work Implementation phase Networking activities have taken place with experts from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Japan and Poland. Networking activities Implementation phase Visits to target groups 37 visits to target groups have been made during the project. Design land use change Land use change type Design authority Authority type Role Responsibility Name Comments NGO Initiation of the measure Arbeitskreis Wachau regional development group The Arbeitskreis Wachau is a cooperation platform of 13 communities of the Wachau as well as representatives from viticulture, culture and nature conservation.It is the initiator of the project, and also responsible for the implementation of the measures. NGO Financing via donau - Austrian Waterways Association via donau is digging gravels for maintaining the shipping channels. This material is being used to restore the gravel banks and islets within the project. Other Wachau community Local communities NGO LANIUS association Other Financing Federal State of Lower Austria Financing through the Lower Austrian Landscape Fund. NGO Other Lower Austrian Fisheries Association The angling club hat set initial impulses for the project and has showed persistent efforts to get the project accepted. Their local relationships were also important for getting the consent of numerous landowners. They have also contributed to the financing. National water authority Financing Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Protection Lessons, risks, implications... Key lessons Within the LIFE Nature Project, different sub-projects have been successfully implemented in the Wachau. This included the establishment of gravel banks, and the reconnection of dried up site-arms. Based on the pilot project experience of reusing gravel dredged from the shipping channels to recreate gravel banks and islets in the Danube, a gravel plan has been set up that foresees that all gravel excavated from the navigation channel between 2005 and 2020 would be brought back into the Danube River. Both gravel structures and reactivated lateral river channels serve as spawning ground for the fish fauna and as resting and breeding sites for aquatic birds. Success factor(s) Success factor type Success factor role Comments Attitude of relevant stakeholders main factor Public participation secondary factor Financing Financing type Comments EU-funds: LIFE+ European Union financing through the LIFE Nature fund. National funds The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Protection. Sub-national funds The State of Lower Austria Local funds Contribution of the Arbeitskreis Wachau regional development group with communities and LANIUS. Private funds Contribution of the Lower Austrian Fisheries Association and the Austrian Waterways Association via donau. Barrier Barrier type Barrier role Comments Other secondary barrier The implementation of the project needed the consent of over 20 local landowners. Driver Driver type Driver role Comments Organisation committed to it main driver The Arbeitskreis Wachau regional development group and the angling association committed themselves to the project and set initial impulses. Financing share Financing share type Share Comments European funds 50 View National funds 19.5 View Private funds 30.5 View Policy, general governance and design targets Policy description "Although the main river flows free, a dramatic loss of structural diversity has occurred within the past few decades: elimination of gravel banks and other interventions, and the disappearance of the lateral channels due to increasing sedimentation of cut-off river arms during the periodic floods" (Seehofer, 2008). The regulated open Danube offered poor habitat for spawning and survival of young fish. The project goal was to improve habitat by connecting dry oxbows to the Danube and to create 'man-made' gravel banks. Quantified objectives No quantified objectives are available. Policy target Target purpose Improved Biodiversity Erosion Control Runoff control 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 Costs total 5 200 000 Costs total information The costs include also works to protect dry grasslands, which are not NWRM relevant. Ecosystem improved biodiversity 1 Information on Ecosystem improved biodiversity One of the target species of the project has been the huchen (Hucho hucho). In general terms, spawning grounds for fishes and resting areas for birds have been improved. Ecosystem impact climate regulation Not relevant for the specific application Biophysical impacts Restoring hydraulic connections 6000 Restoring hydraulic connections unit meters Ecosystem erosion control 1 Information on Restoring hydraulic connections 6 km of former side-arms have been reconnected to the Danube. Information on Ecosystem erosion control One of the aims of the project is to counteract the excavation of the shipping channel. Water quality overall improvements N/A info Soil quality overall soil improvements N/A info Full Context Pathway(aka Context) Default view Area(aka Level or Site) ALL