Dredgers from the VERBUND fleet at work near Ybbs
Gravel banks for the head of reservoir at Melk
It is envisaged that, at the so-called "Ybbs Scheibe" (Ybbs disk) in the Melk power plant head-of-reservoir, new gravel banks will represent an expansion of the successful Danube-Ybbs LIFE+ networking project.
Project area of the excavations in the Ybbser Scheibe
Structuring of the shoreline has been carried out in the slip-off bank of the "Ybbs Scheibe" between river kilometre 2057.70 and 2054.90 by means of gravel filling. A sequence of gravel banks and gravel islands was created, through which calm flow zones will emerge, along with shallow gravel surfaces that are flooded at low and mean-flow conditions.
The main goal of this measure is improvement of the living conditions and spawning areas for fish species requiring gravelly banks and bars, such as barbel, nase, zingel and Danube streber. Gravel is taken from the main Danube riverbed in the area of the Erlauf estuary and distributed along the left bank of the Danube near Hagsdorf according to a detailed plan.
Winter visit to the new banks of the Ybbser Scheibe
Excavation works completed
The works on the bank structures of the Danube in the area of the "Ybbser Scheibe" were completed in winter 2019/2020. A total of 225,000 m³ of gravel were repositioned within the Danube. The banks not only offer fish new habitat but are also a bit hit with bathing guests.
Fish-friendly banks for the Danube between Ybbs and Melk
Dredging work begun between Melk and Ybbs
Below the Ybbs-Persenbeug power plant, the VERBUND fleet is currently working on a fish kindergarten. The fish larvae are just a few centimetres long and need still, shallow pool zones while growing up. The very structured Danube provided too few of these. LIFE+ Network Danube is closing the gap with dredging work at the "Ybbser Scheibe", the head of the Melk power plant reservoir.
