Nature conservation measures at the Altenwörth hydropower plant. The picture shows the project area from above. You can see a protective dam, river and a small forest.

LIFE Network Danube Plus:
Creating a better habitat for the Danube

The experience gained with the Greifenstein and Ottensheim-Wilhering fish migration aids has confirmed that the concept of a near-natural river to bypass the power plant is the best solution in terms of the LIFE Network Danube Plus renaturation project. 

The project follows this example: it links the habitats along the VERBUND Danube power plants Altenwörth and Greifenstein. Together with our partners, we have made the Danube fish-friendly and barrier-free.

Project description

The Altenwörth Danube power plant is becoming barrier-free with Lower Austria's longest fish migration aid. In addition, VERBUND as the power plant operator, together with the market town of Kirchberg am Wagram, is improving the bathing quality at the Altenwörth oxbow lake. Together with fish-friendly measures in the area of the "Gießgang" in the upper reaches of the Greifenstein power plant, the "LIFE+ Network Danube Plus" project is being created.

Further information and insights into the project can also be found in the book "LIFE & The Danube".

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View of the Altenwörth power plant. You can see the bright blue Danube, greenery and the fish migration aid.

Project overview

Lower Austria's longest fish migration aid measures 12.5 kilometers in length. It is the centerpiece of the LIFE Network Danube Plus project.

When the Greifenstein power plant was built, the neighboring part of the floodplain was protected from drying out by a river with artificial dams. Together with the floodplain, the so-called "Gießgang" is now a protected area with an abundance of typical animal and plant species. As the dam structures are not fully passable for fish, VERBUND equipped four ramps with fish migration aids. These four facilities now make it easier for fish to migrate between the Danube and the "Gießgang". The fish migration aids connect the Danube with the northern tributaries Göllersbach and Schmida.

VERBUND has ecologically improved bank zones in the artificially created Danube arm and also created zones for better recreational use. These include deadwood structures, sandbanks and gravel banks. Shallow bank zones and artificially placed tree trunks improve spawning conditions. The so-called "constructed wetland" has a natural cleansing effect on the oxbow lake.

The stylized map shows the project area of LIFE Network Danube Plus.

Details of the Altenwörth bypass river

A view from above: A 2 km long new bypass was built between the reservoir of the power plant and the Krems channel.

A 2 km long new bypass was built between the reservoir of the power plant and the Krems channel.

A view from above: On an 8 km stretch of the Krems and Kamp rivers, the so-called "Kamp-Krems channel", bed sills were removed and the river bed was widened and equipped with gravel and sand banks as well as wooden structures.

On an 8 km stretch of the Krems and Kamp rivers, the so-called "Kamp-Krems channel", bed sills were removed and the river bed was widened and equipped with gravel and sand banks as well as wooden structures. 

A view from above: Downstream to the mouth of the Danube, a 3 km long near-natural section of the river was completely rebuilt.

Downstream, a 3 km long natural section of the river was completely rebuilt up to the mouth of the Danube.

How the renaturation project strengthens biodiversity

Project partners of LIFE Network Danube Plus

partner Poster

www.bml.gv.at

partner Poster

www.umweltbundesamt.at/umweltthemen/naturschutz/schutzgebiete/natura2000

partner Poster

www.noe.gv.at

partner Poster

www.cinea.ec.europa.eu/programmes/life_en

partner Poster

www.noe-lfv.at

The "LIFE Network Danube Plus" project is supported by the following funding partners: the EU as part of the LIFE+ program, the Ministry of Agriculture, Regions and Tourism, the provincial governments of Lower Austria and the Provincial Fisheries Association of Lower Austria. The companies EVN, Wien Energie, Energie AG, KELAG and VKW, which are entitled to purchase electricity from the Greifenstein and Altenwörth power plants, are also involved.

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