PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The upper Drau in Carinthia, once a highly braided mountain river with many side streams and water meadows, met the same fate as so many other Alpine rivers: the river bed was channelled, bends were straightened out, branches cut off from the main stream, dams and turbines built, and intensive farming extended right down to the river banks. Eventually, faced with catastrophic floods, erosion of the riverbed and a falling groundwater level, people began to see the error of their ways: in the early 1990s the water authorities started work on an environmentally-oriented hydrological development scheme and began restoring the river to a semi-natural state. This marked the beginning of a systematic attempt to preserve and improve what was left of the rich natural environment such as the significant surviving alder and ash forests along the river bank, the small populations of Danube salmon (Hucho hucho) and crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes), both threatened with extinction, and staging areas for migrating birds.
OBJECTIVES
Building on the hydrological development scheme, the rivers administration intended to continue revitalising the Drau by drawing on aid from LIFE-Nature to tackle the remaining 60 km in the middle part of the river which was still freely flowing, between Oberdrauburg and Spittal. Using engineering measures such as riverbed widening and removal of groynes and embankments in order to allow riverbank erosion to occur, the idea was to return this part of the river to its former natural structure by linking up branches and creating new, or reactivating old, water meadows. Further project priorities were improvement of floodplain forests (through reduction of grazing densities and firewood extraction), special species protection measures and promotion of extensive grassland use near the river by providing advice to farmers. These measures were to be accompanied by public relations work and visitor management and information measures. Ultimately the purpose was to create win-win situations for environmental protection, flood prevention, farming and recreation all together.
RESULTS
All measures foreseen were completed and some actions could even be enlarged in comparison to the original project. This is not only because construction works were cheaper than foreseen but also because the beneficiary, the rivers authority, gained confidence after the first sections of riverbank stabilization blocks were removed. Thus here the LIFE project had a learning effect: before LIFE, the beneficiary had tested the method only on small sections along the river. The project gave the opportunity to realise a large-scale river revitalisation programme. After the project, the beneficiary began looking for funds to restore the Drau river morphology over the whole river length. What was done: • Technical planning in order to obtain permits for the river revitalisation works. Planning covered more than 60 single actions, and included photomontages, 3-D models, location plans, profiles etc. • Elaboration of management plan: to LIFE-Nature only the following basic aspects were charged: 1) fishery management concept and 2) concept on the use of the floodplain forest. Other aspects are covered as well by the plan, but using own funds only. They are based on the concepts developed by the LIFE-Nature parts. A comprehensive management plan for the whole Natura 2000 area was presented at the end of the project and will cover the next 20 years. It follows the guidelines for Natura 2000 management plans elaborated at the Galway seminar. • Consultation between partners: 35 meetings of steering group held, plus at least one coordination meeting/month. • Purchase of land which was needed to carry out the works such as riverbed broadening, revitalisation of banks, forest initiation. Altogether 52.95 ha were purchased, of which 20.55 ha have been swapped from outside into the Natura 2000 area. • Compensation for ending grazing rights in floodplain forests. These compensated areas will improve the habitat quality of 65 ha of the priority habitat 91E0 and offer benefits for Bombina variegata. • River revitalisation works in the sub-site Spittal/Drau started in winter 2001 and were carried out in three separate phases: "west", "centre" and "east". Together, 4.5 km was treated. River dynamics have already transformed the area, on an even larger scale than hoped before the revitalisation work began. Further revitalisation works are planned for 2004, which demonstrates the incentive effect of the LIFE project. Additionally, 1 ha of pioneer habitats 3220, 3230, 3240 was created. • River revitalisation works at sub-site Kleblach-Lind: The riverbed has been broadened to 45 m over more than 1.3 km length. 0.5 ha pioneer habitats have been created. • River revitalisation works (river widening actions, creation of pools for amphibians, removal of bank stabilisation) at sub-site Dellach, done over the 1 km river length foreseen, plus 200 m additionally restored, due to savings. Bed load monitoring programme for next 10 years initiated (not charged to LIFE). • Smaller river restoration works over the whole length of the river section covered by the project. Here more was done than foreseen: 31 small river restoration works, restructuration of small tributary creeks on 2 km, removal of obstacles to fish migration at 12 sites, creation of 22 amphibian pools (4 ha in total). • Creation of alluvial buffer strips: 3000 saplings planted to initiate 4.5 ha new floodplain forest (action done together with schools). In addition, lowering of floodplain foreland to kick-start natural succession process. These works also benefited the Annex II butterfly species Callimorpha quadripunctaria. • Several species-specific conservation actions. Benefiting species: Hucho hucho, Rhodeus sericeus amarus, Cobitis taenia, Austropotamobius pallipes, Alcedo atthis, Myricaria germanica and Typha minima, as well as lampreys and bats. First spider re-introduction ever done by a LIFE project (local flagship species Arctosa cinerea) • 20-year extensification contracts (non-use) in the floodplain forest. 51 ha contracted with 54 landowners (which is much more than foreseen). The contracts are planned to be renewed after 20 years via the Natura 2000 management plan. • Promotion of agri-environment contracts on arable land near the river: 15 presentations given to farmers, 16 contracts signed. LIFE paid only for the promotion of extensification of arable land (the Drau valley is intensively used). The contracts for the extensification of arable land themselves included actions such as the creation of amphibian pools, widening of small creeks (habitat for Austropotamobius pallipes), mowing of 1000 m² fen, planting of hedges. • Visitor guidance: large temporary information panels placed at strategic spots, 8 m high visitor platform constructed and hiking map produced. • Excursions and "action days" were held within the project area: more than 30 excursions held. • Information materials: folder on species protection and on water (5000 copies each) plus info agenda (1000 copies). The project final report will act simultaneously as project folder, including first monitoring results (100 copies). • Power Point Presentation and website have been constantly updated • An itinerant exhibition used for all project events and to tour local schools and administration buildings. It was in use since 2000 and has been shown at 10 seminars. • Intensive media work has been done resulting in many newspaper, radio and TV reports. Participation by project in several seminars in Austria, Netherlands, Switzerland and at the Green Week. A lot of work was done with schools. • LIFE-Nature project symposium organised on 08.-12.09.03 (at the same time this was the 20th Austria-wide river symposium). More than 300 participants. • Panopticum of project actions shown during river symposium, a long video version documents the whole project period (DVD). • Scientific monitoring: ex-post surveys done in 2003. Long-term monitoring will be financed and organised by regional authorities. • Internet communication system developed on http://www.kagis.ktn.gv.at/abt18, LIFE project website on http://panda.wwf.at/drau.html