Recently major dredging work in the Salzach
timeline
In the Salzach in the city of Salzburg, large-scale dredging will resume from Monday: On the six kilometers of the river between Mozartsteg and Bergheim, gravel will be relocated in the riverbed to improve flood protection.
After the first major shifting of the river gravel two years ago, further interventions are now necessary, emphasize the experts from the state of Salzburg and Salzburg AG, in order to ensure flood protection in the state capital and to improve the flow behavior of the Salzach for the power plant in Salzburg-Lehen.
Work “more extensive” than two years ago
“This time it’s more comprehensive (than two years ago – note)”, says the responsible technician at Salzburg AG, Markus Matschl. “It starts just above the Mozartstege. The aim and purpose of the measure is to stabilize the situation in such a way that such dredging is no longer required. The debris is removed from critical areas, where this is required to protect against flooding and runoff, and reintroduced in other areas – mainly between the Lehen bed level and the power plant.” Dredging was also carried out in the area below the Lehen power plant up to the level of the Bergheim local train station.
Salzburg AG is investing several hundred thousand euros in the work, which can now only be carried out when the water is low: “As much as possible is being moved in the area of the river. With such measures, so-called ‘construction roads’ are always filled up in the river and moved there.” Depending on the weather, the dredging work in the Salzach should be completed by mid-April, says Matschl.