It sounds paradoxical: the last natural beach on the popular island must now make way for nature conservation. The Freudenau power station collects the gravel. The “Krone” knows the background.
Sports, swimming, barbecuing, fishing: the Danube Island is probably the most popular local recreation area for Viennese. In what other major city can you find 42 kilometers of beach and nature reserve in one? But now the last natural island pebble beach, opposite the Alberner Hafen, will disappear forever. Dredged away and taken away.
Robert Eichert from “Lobauinfo” is in an uproar: “Many people have been coming to this special beach for years. Here you can still swim in the Danube. Children can also play here.” Most of the gravel banks are located on the southern tip of Danube Island. In addition, it is feared that the channel behind the island, which can be crossed at low tide, will be dredged so deep that it can no longer be crossed.
The waterway operator viadonau tells the “Krone” that this is the island of Mannswörth, a project of the energy company Verbund. Both the state of Lower Austria and the city of Vienna have given their approval to the project.
The project, which has already been approved under the Nature Conservation Act, includes the connection of a tributary to “increase the ecological potential on site,” it continues. A new habitat is created for fauna and flora and better living conditions are created for (young) fish. The gravel material obtained is sold to the association as soil material for the Freudenau power station.
The statement from the Ministry of Climate Protection is similar. This project is an ecologization project: The gravel bank becomes a gravel island, which is especially important as a breeding and nesting place for birds and which, thanks to the protected side arm, becomes a good habitat for fish. At the same time, does the project contribute to countering the ecologically detrimental deepening of the bed of the main stream of the Danube at the start of construction? Until the end of the year.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
