Diggers end their summer break at the “Ybbser Scheibe”
Between Ybbs and Melk, VERBUND is structuring the banks of the Danube in a fresh, fish-friendly way. The dredging work in the area of the Ybbser Scheibe (“Ybbs disk”) will be continued starting 13 August.
As part of the EU-sponsored project LIFE+ Network Danube, VERBUND and partners are improving the habitats and spawning areas for Danube fish. With Danube gravel from the Melk power plant reservoir area, the VERBUND experts are designing new, structured banks.
The VERBUND dredging vessels are ending their summer break and starting out again at full tilt. In addition to the 100-tonne floating dredger "Walter," also the "Röthelstein," the most powerful icebreaker on the Danube is being used. During the summer, it has the job of steering the barges into which the gravel is excavated to the intended locations along the banks. One barge holds 200 m3 of gravel, which corresponds to 20 truckloads. Starting 20 August, diggers will be working from the shore as well.
Gravel is being removed from the main riverbed of the Danube in the area of the Erlauf estuary, and being placed along the left bank of the Danube near Hagsdorf according to a detailed plan. The work is expected to be completed by the end of 2019. A total of 200,000 m3 of gravel is being relocated. Along the new banks, barbel, nase, zingel, Danube streber and other fish species will find spawning grounds and shelter for the young fish.
Not only the fish will benefit from these measures, but also rare water birds and of course the people along the Danube who are already using the finished gravel banks for bathing. For a while the bathers will have to accept a few limitations due to the construction work. But as compensation, when the work is completed, a shoreline well suited for bathing is in store for next summer.
More about the project: www.life-netzwerk-donau.at
