The content of the project is the restoration and erection of new protection structures against flooding along the Morava River for HW100 (100-year high water) including the safety heights accorded with the Slovak Republic in the Boundary Water Commission (70 cm) in the area of Angern-Mannersdorf-Stillfried and Waidendorf-Dürnkrut-Jedenspeigen.

In the preparatory phase, it was necessary to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment.

• land.und.wasser, Technisches Büro für Landschaftsplanung der Betriebsgesellschaft Marchfeldkanal, Ing. Susanne Karl, Dipl.-Ing. Harald Weyermayr
• Büro für Raum- /Regionalplanung, Dipl.-Ing. Siegfried Trimmel
• Dipl.-Ing. Hannes Fitz, Zivilingenieur für Kulturtechnik und Wasserwirtschaft
• Dipl.-Ing. Christof Weiß, Zivilingenieur für Bauwesen
• Werner Consult Ziviltechnikergesellschaft m.b.H., Dipl.-Ing. Gerhard Frei
• TU Wien, Institut für Grundbau und Bodenmechanik, o.Univ.Prof. Heinz Brandl, Dr.techn. Stefan Blovsky

The content of the project is to ensure protection against flooding along the Morava River for HW₁₀₀.

Within the scope of the already completed EIA procedure, the following areas required intense attention:

• The new construction of further ground water measuring stations for the purpose of monitoring the planned effects of the ground water flows. Securing the current water resources and keeping interventions to a minimum with respect to the exchange of ground water and surface water are crucial issues for the preservation of humid habitats.
• An important subject was the potential damages to the dams caused by rodents especially the treatment of the beavers in the region. On the one hand, beavers are a protected species, but on the other hand, they can also cause substantial damage to the dams.
• Answers to many questions of the EIA experts in the areas “People and their Settlement Space“, “Nature and Landscape Protection; Habitats, Animals and Plants”, “Forestry, Agriculture, Hunting and Fisheries”, “Ground, Water, Air, Climate” and “Material and Cultural Heritage”.
• The conditions imposed by the Federal Monuments Office for the preliminary investigation of the construction site were immediately implemented in collaboration with the Federal Monuments Office to avoid any hindrances to the construction work.
• Due to the extreme flooding in April 2006 during which the dam broke in the section mentioned above it was necessary to analyse the effects of flooding damages under high pressure and to present any potential effects on the construction for which an application had been submitted to the EIA experts. This was accomplished with the intense efforts of all parties involved in the procedures in order to avoid any delays. In the end, the EIA procedure was completed even faster despite the enormous time pressure.
• The conditions imposed for the EIA Certificate and the EIA procedure regarding the environmental compatibility had to be integrated into the two construction sections in order to secure their implementation during the construction.
• Public relations work to inform the local governments and population; one of the highlights of the p.r. work including the public EIA proceedings held on 1 June 2006 in Angern.

The environmental compatibility of the project in accordance with the conditions imposed was confirmed by the authorities. The affirmative Official Notice was issued in June 2006 and became legally effective in August 2006. The conditions imposed consist mainly of proposals for an environmentally compatible execution of the construction work, taking into consideration the interests of the people living in the area, as regards, for example, noise as well as the monitoring before, during and after the erection as a control instrument. These conditions were included in the call for tenders for the construction work or are currently being implemented.

During construction work, the following areas and procedures must be observed apart from the conditions imposed by the EIA Official Notice:

• The existing dams including filters are to be restored by the end of January 2007 and made to withstand up HW100. This refers to the construction sectors Mannersdorf, Waidendorf, Dürnkrut and Jedenspeigen.
• At the same time, the flood protection structures in Angern must be erected as fast as possible, as currently there are no dams there. In Angern it is necessary to erect mobile flooding protection, supportive walls and a pumping station due to the vicinity to settlements in addition to the construction of dams.
• The watertight walls of the dams will be mounted after the expected flooding in spring of 2007 and in the sensitive areas after the mating season.  The choice of narrow walls enables their erection even in the case of higher ground water levels.
• The construction work in Stillfried is planned for July 2007, with special attention being devoted to the adjacent nature protection areas. Additionally, it is necessary to work together with the Austrian Railways ÖBB, which is located right next to it, taking the special risks and time schedules into consideration.
• By the end of 2007, the platforms of the dams must be increased in all construction sections to a height of HW100 + 70 cm and the construction of the platforms completed.
• During the course of construction, the conditions are expected to become more difficult as a consequence of the following factors: higher ground water levels and/or flooding; consideration of the interests of nature protection, hunting, agriculture and forestry; the digging to be done parallel by the Federal Monuments Office; the poor condition of the dam after the flooding of 2006; the interests of local population.
• Furthermore, the latest findings of current research, e.g. for the protection of the beavers should be integrated into the construction measures.
• In collaboration with the Technical University of Vienna, “Open House Days at the Construction Site” are planned to inform the local population. The police and fire department are to be informed during the construction and the finalization phases of the work in order to enable faster action and to make better use of the measures in the event of a disaster.

Client and coordination

Christoph Fehringer

Tel: +43 (0) 504321 2600

christoph.fehringer@via-donau.org

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