Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen - Living Rhine floodplain near Karlsruhe (LIFE04 NAT/DE/000025
Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen - Living Rhine floodplain near Karlsruhe (LIFE04 NAT/DE/000025
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The FORECASTER Team
Key features of the case study
In the following section, background and motives of the restoration project which led to the initiation of the project are introduced
Drivers and pressures
In order to allow shipping along the river, the Rhine was channelized in the early 19th century cutting off large meander bends in the floodplains around the city of Karlsruhe. As a consequence, the former floodplain didn’t remain exposed to the natural flood regime of the river (active floodplain) thus preventing natural processes such as lateral erosion and deposition. Besides, the current floodplains uses have led to serious floodplain habitats degradation; most of the natural floodplain forest was replaced by hybrid poplars leaving only small relicts of willow stands (Salix alba and Populus nigra). Numerous gravels pits were also dredged and a network of drainage canals covered the former floodplain. Despite human intervention, nature values remained in some sites of the floodplain and could qualify for Natura 2000, such as former tributaries and side channels of the Rhine River, wet meadows and calcareous fens and woodland subjected to summer floods where protected species such Cladium mariscus, Carex davallania and Callimorpha quadripuncturia occur.
In order to protect those remaining threatened habitats along the Rhine River, a LIFE project were implemented in 2004. The restoration at Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen was undertaken in the framework of the LIFE project Rheinauen Karlsruhe among five others restoration sites Rheinstetten, Karlsruhe, Linkenheim-Hochstetten, Dettenheim and Philippsburg. The project area is introduced in the figure below.
Global objectives
Although river dykes had to remain in place for navigation purposes, the LIFE project aimed to support and to develop both active and former floodplain habitats and to improve their connectivity. Particular attention foresaw to reverse the silting up process of former river arms as well as boosting water flow through the extensive ditch system so that this would act as an interconnecting network linking floodplain and wetlands.
Specific goals
The Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen restoration aimed to:
- Restore the natural softwood and hardwood floodplain forest stands focusing on the natural population of white willow and black poplar
- Restore side arms suffering from siltation by dredging them
- Enhance and protect Trapa natans as protected specie
Site description
Measures selection
The following section introduces which measures were prepared, implemented and whether they were successful in reaching their related goals
Under the LIFE project Rheinauen Karlsruhe – Living Rhine floodplain near Karlsruhe, more than hundreds measures were carried out improving 38 km of streams and an area of 7.485 ha.
At Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, three different restoration measures were implemented. First of all, hardwood floodplain forest stands was restored mostly by replacing hybrid poplars by Salix alba, Quercus robur, Populus nigra and species of wild fruit. Then, Trapa natans was planted in growth areas at different sites to enhance the specie status in the Rhine floodplain. Finally, a side arm experiencing severe siltation were rehabilitated by removal of silt, reducing riparian wood, and introducing low-nutrient river water into floodplain water bodies (from the Rhine). It produced some 57,500 m³ of silt pumped out of the side-arm bed and spread on fields after drying one season. However, agricultural use of the sediment could be undertaken as foreseen since they were contaminated. Therefore, a pilot project tried to mineralize the organic material in situ by carefully pumping of air into the water body. So far, no results are available.
Success criteria
No information found
Ecological response
At many sites of the LIFE project, habitat improvement and spreading of endangered species were observed within the first years after restoration implementation. But the real restoration impact could not be evaluated yet since it will take several decades before the ecosystem will recover (especially natural floodplain forests).
Nevertheless, the recovery of nature in the dredged reaches was fast and included the appearance of rare species that were not found there before at Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen. The formerly stagnant water body with poor water quality was turned into a running water course with high oxygen content and low nutrient level providing suitable habitat conditions for rheophilic aquatic species. As an example, the number of mollusc species had almost doubled. One of the species (Pisidium pseudosphaerium) was recorded during the monitoring surveys for the first time in South-West Germany.
Further results are available here [1] (language: German)
Hydromorphological response
Monitoring before and after implementation of the project
The global LIFE project carried a biotic monitoring programme including vegetation, fish, mollusca, dragonflies, amphibians, birds, butterflies and small mammals (bats and specific tree bugs).
Socio-economic aspects
In the following section, ways of cooperation, interaction and information with partners, stakeholders and wider audience of the project are introduced as well as their related success in reaching their participation objectives.
Cooperation
To improve the Upper Rhine management network, the project gathered 16 partners (listed below) from local authorities to nature conservancy authority, water authority, fisheries management authority, nature conservancy associations, fishery associations and research institute.
- Städte Karlsruhe, Philippsburg, und Rheinstetten
- Gemeinden Dettenheim, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen und Linkenheim-Hochstetten
- Regierungspräsidium Karlsruhe, Referat 53.1 Landesbetrieb Gewässer und Referat 33 Fischereibehörde
- Regierungspräsidium Freiburg, Referat 82 Forstpolitik und Forstliche Förderung Nord
- Naturschutzzentrum Karlsruhe-Rappenwört
- Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe
- Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (Ortsverband Rheinstetten)
- Naturschutzbund Deutschland (Gruppe Karlsruhe)
- Verein für Vogel- und Naturschutz Dettenheim
- Sportfischervereinigung Eggenstein
- Anglerverein Leopoldshafen
- Anglerverein Linkenheim
Interaction
No information found.
Communication
Besides ecological restoration goals, the project foresaw to carry an information and awareness campaign targeting a wide audience. Therefore, several communication means were undertaken such as articles into the local news media, publications, web cams, development of a mobile electronic guide, guided tours as well as seminars, information boards, website etc. The two following figures list the means used for the project communication and highlights an important public participation in the project.
Funding
The following section gives an overview of cost and funding of the project
Cost: 7,000,000.00 € Euros
European Union: 50%
Local authorities: 18 %
Regional authorities (Regierungspräsidium Karlsruhe and RP Referrat Gewasser): 16 + 11.5 %
Forest agency ( Landesforstverwaltung): 1.5 %
Others: 2 %
NGOs: 1 %
Contact person within the organization
Regierungspräsidium Karlsruhe
Peter ZIMMERMANN, project manager/coordinator
Telephone: xxxxxxx
E-mail: xxxxxxx
Extra background information
References
- Regierungspräsidium Karlsruhe website
- Rheinauen Karlsruhe – Living Rhine floodplain near Karlsruhe (language: English)
- LIFE -Projekt “ Lebeindige Rheinauen – Lebensraume fur Mensch und Natur (language: German/French)
- LIFE -Projekt “ Lebeindige Rheinauen – Ergebnisse (language: German/French)
- Lebendige Rheinauen bei Karlsruhe - Technischer Bericht (language: english, abstract)
- Lebendige Rheinauen bei Karlsruhe – Poster (language: English)
Related Measures
Related Pressures
- Hydrological regime modification
- Channelisation / cross section alteration
- Alteration of riparian vegetation
- Sand and gravel extraction
- Loss of vertical connectivity
