LIFE Project, Austria: Linking habitats to conserve Danube fish

River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) came into force in 2010 and now represent an essential environmental management tool of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). Integrated approaches are central to the RBMP ini­tiative, which promotes joined-up plan­ning and harmonised action in riparian habitats. Many different LIFE projects are actively involved in supporting such co-ordinated RBMP activities, and a good example of what can be achieved through linked-up wetland conservation work is demonstrated by the results of a recently completed LIFE project on the Danube, in Austria.

The Danube and its tributaries are one of the most important waterway systems in the EU, and a large number of natural hydrological features in the Danube basin have been altered to help strengthen their socio-economic potential. However, the impacts of these interventions can have negative effects on fish or other species that rely on the rivers for migration and spawning.

Austrian nature conservation partners involved in the development of the Dan­ube RBMP had identified a programme of actions to help improve habitat condi­tions for protected fish species. As part of this wider RBMP programme, LIFE sup­port was awarded to a river management project involving two inter-linked actions near the mouth of the Ybbs tributary in lower Austria. Both parts of the LIFE’s 'Donau-Ybbs Linkage' project have been highly successful, leading to its nomina­tion as one of this year’s best LIFE Nature projects.

Integrated LIFE outcomes

Up to forty different fish species have ben­efitted from the project, which involved restoring natural habitat conditions at the mouth of the Ybbs and establishing a fish bypass around the Melk hydo-power sta­tion. The latter now enables fish to migrate once again along the Danube, past the station, and opens up a river continuum of 22 km on the Danube, plus 13 km on the Ybbs. These outcomes complement the actions of two other LIFE projects oper­ating in the vicinity, which aim to improve habitat over a 90 km stretch of the river.

Endangered species, including zingel (Zingel zingel), streber (Zingel streber) and schraetzer (Gymnocephalus schraetzer), are among the fish that have already been recorded using the 2 km-long LIFE-funded bypass. High-tech engineering solutions ensure a dynamic flow of water through the meandering channel, which has been constructed from natural materials – some 5 000 willow trees were planted on the banks.

The new fish migration route is supplemented by the activity nearby at the mouth of the Ybbs to improve fish spawning areas. Here natural hydrological functions have been restored by removing infra­structure that previously controlled the Ybbs' merger with the Danube. Results from the project actions allowed the two rivers to re-create a natural confluence containing a diversity of habitat structures as the Ybbs branches into a number of distributaries separated by islands.

This new delta encompasses an enlarged habitat of about 9 ha, which has already been colonised as a spawning ground by Danube fish, including protected spe­cies like the Danube roach (Rutilus pigus). Common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos), kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), beaver (Cas­tor fiber), and other important species that have also been observed using the restored river habitat.

Various

By reconnecting migratory routes and restoring natural spawning grounds for endangered fish species, LIFE's Donau-Ybbs Linkage project demonstrates the type of synergies that can be achieved by co-ordinated planning of different con­servation actions in EU river basins. This example of good practice in Austria is expected to be the first of many through­out Europe to result from RBMPs.

 For more information go to http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life

Project number:            LIFE04 NAT/AT/000006

Title:                             Donau-Ybbs Linkage

Beneficiary:                   Amt der Niederösterreich­ischen Landesregierung, Abt Wasserbau – Bundeswasserbauverwaltung