Restoration of the Aufhausener Lacke completed

VERBUND began restoring the Aufhausener Lacke near the Egglfing-Obernberg Inn power plant in autumn 2024 as part of the LIFE Riverscape Lower Inn nature conservation project. The work was completed at the end of March 2025 and the new still water body was flooded.

The Aufhausener Lacke on the left bank of the Inn had become increasingly silted up due to the influx of sand and sediment during natural floods. It had been dry all year round since 2022. As the fine sediments could not be removed naturally, they were removed by VERBUND as part of the LIFE project. In total, over 70,000 m³ of sediment has been removed from the Aufhausener Lacke in recent months and relocated to the riverbank. The sediments are transported further when the water level of the Inn is higher, although this does not significantly increase the natural suspended matter load of the Inn. The work was carried out in close consultation with the relevant authorities as part of the river maintenance programme and was carried out under ecological supervision.

The new Aufhausener Lacke and its neighbouring areas were developed as near-natural floodplain waters with shallow banks that will serve as a habitat for waterfowl, amphibians and insects for decades to come. Thanks to the connection to the Inn, fish can also use the Aufhausener Lacke as a habitat again. This connection is limited to the downstream end of the Lacke in order to avoid rapid resedimentation as far as possible. The newly created shallow water areas once again provide a perfect environment for fish larvae and juvenile fish as well as for waterfowl feeding on the bottom thanks to the emergence of aquatic vegetation.

Hans-Dieter Scheiblhuber, Vice President of the Lower Bavarian Fishing Association (Fischereiverband Niederbayern e.V.) and Chairman of the Inn Fishing Co-operative: ‘The restoration and sustainable protection of aquatic habitats along our structurally poor rivers is the central means of promoting the biodiversity of aquatic organisms, i.e. fish, mussels, crustaceans and microorganisms.

For over 25 years, local fishermen and women have been endeavouring to preserve the Aufhausener Lacke. Smaller partial landings over 13 years ago to save the still good mussel stocks only brought short-term success.

The representatives of the fishing organisations are extremely satisfied with the current measure. They are convinced of the sustainable effect on the positive development of biodiversity in this reactivated habitat and thank VERBUND for its commitment.’

The LIFE project Riverscape Lower Inn comprises a large number of measures to improve the situation of still waters. In addition to the Aufhausener Lacke, there are numerous other areas along the Inn that have undergone a similar negative ecological development as a result of progressive siltation. As the floodplain waters are very important habitats for a large number of rare animal and plant species, their renaturalisation and thus the enhancement of the habitat of the river landscape along the Inn is a central objective of the LIFE project.

The measure improves the diversity of habitats in the Lower Inn European reserve and also makes a significant contribution to the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive, particularly by strengthening the fish population.