DANUBEPARKS is glad to announce that the on-site sampling of the embankment at Paradeiserinsel, Donau-Auen National Park, Austria was completed at the beginning of February 2025.
A bagger carried out on-site sampling along the embankment and adjacent groynes, in order to assess the quantity of stones that must be removed. This is the final stage of the technical planning of the restoration actions, which will now allow the precise quantity of fine sediments and stones that need to be removed to revitalize the site.
The action is a part of the twinned DANUBE4all Horizon and "Lost Paradeis" Open Rivers Programme projects, combining the funding to restore a free-flowing hind-channel, improving the longitudinal connectivity through the removal of 9 groynes currently obstructing the section between the Paradeis island and the left bank of the Danube. The embankment removal and groyne adaptation actions will work together to enable the re-establishment of natural dynamic processes and allow the restoration of the ecosystem functions and services, allowing the formation of natural river banks and vegetation along the largest navigable river in Europe. The new sidearm will improve fish habitats, providing protection from wave stress and offering a mosaic of diverse micro-habitats including shallow waters and gravel banks.
The actions are fully inspired by the WILDisland concept and we are very excited to be able to share our best practices for river restoration and habitat conservation. Both projects are implemented by DANUBEPARKS (in charge of the technical planning) and the Austrian waterway company viadonau (responsible for the construction works) and take place on the territory of the Donau-Auen National Park, which provides ecological monitoring on-site to ensure the highest efficiency and lowest negative impact on the adjacent territories. DANUBEPARKS remains optimistic that with all the permits in hand and the volume calculations, viadonau will be able to organize a tender and start with the revitalization works by the winter of 2025.