Current Projects

Extreme weather events will continue to increase as a result of climate change. In addition to extreme drought, an increase in heavy rainfall events and floods is to be expected. Protection strategies are needed to keep the associated damage to a minimum.

As part of the EU mission "Restore our Oceans, seas & waters by 2030", the so called EcoDaLLi project will help to achieve the freshwater targets of the European Green Deal. A systemic approach for restoration, protection and preservation of the entire Danube Basin and its Delta is being developed and guaranteed through coordinated measures.

Heavy rain falls in the Weinviertel in Lower Austria increasingly led to soil loss from agricultural areas and, thus, to aggradation in rivers due to an increased amount of suspended sediment load. The consequence are negative effects on flood protection as well as river ecology. The aim of the project is to develop measures to reduce the suspended sediment load in these rivers.

Numerous cross structures on our streams and rivers represent obstacles for fish that they want to overcome during their migration against the direction of flow. The guideline 509 from the DWA (Fishways and fish-passable structures - design, dimensioning, quality assurance) for the fish-passable design of these structures exists since 2014. This guideline is now being revised.

The construction method "loose rip rap" is a method to stabilise the bed of a watercourse in a desired gradient. In the project at hand, it is being examined whether the scope of application can also be extended to steep watercourses with supercritical flow. The Ruggbach in Vorarlberg serves as an example.

By intensively dealing with the topic of flooding, everyone will be better aware of the dangers associated with flooding and how to protect themselves in the best possible way.

Ultimately, all those who live in an area endangered by floods can make a contribution to prevent or at least reduce damage.

The aim of the project is to improve flood protection on the international route of the Alpine Rhine.

Groynes as hydraulic-engineering and ecological measures – laboratory experiments for the development of guidelines for lower torrent stretches

The progressive deepening causes the groundwater table to sink, the valuable adjacent floodplains are increasingly separated from the river and dry out. Fish hardly find suitable habitats in the river. Solutions are required that dynamically stabilize the river bed and improve the ecological situation of the river and floodplain.