Start of the multi-year renaturation project on the Enns between the river mouth of the Sölk and the market town of Stainach-Pürgg.

As part of the European LIFE project WeNatureEnns / Blue Green Corridor Enns, VERBUND is launching a comprehensive renaturalisation project together with partners from the European Union, the federal government and the province of Styria: Over the next seven years, a near-natural river meadow system with many new habitats for animals and plants, and thus also for people, will be created along a 20 km stretch of the Enns.

As a result of historical flood and land reclamation measures, the Enns today runs like a straightened river through the Enns Valley. The banks are largely stabilised with rock fill and offer hardly any space for spawning or nesting sites. Despite this, the Styrian Enns catchment area is a habitat for numerous endangered and rare animal and plant species, which is why large parts of the Enns Valley have been designated as European NATURA 2000 sites.

The LIFE project WeNatureEnns / Blue Green Corridor Enns has set itself the goal of restoring more habitat to the Enns: Over a stretch of 20 kilometres between the mouth of the Sölk and the market town of Stainach-Pürgg, the Enns will be extensively renatured in the coming years in order to restore a near-natural river meadow system with new gravel banks and additional shallow water areas.

Ceremonial launch at Trautenfels Castle

The project kick-off ceremony took place at Trautenfels Castle in Stainach-Pürgg, in the centre of the Enns Valley. "The creation of habitats - as in this project here on the River Enns - is essential for the ecological diversity of our waters," said Water Minister Norbert Totschnig. "The restoration of species-specific habitat conditions is not only a basic prerequisite for functional ecosystems and the achievement of good ecological status in water bodies, but is also essential to make our water bodies more resilient in the face of future additional pressures caused by climate change."

"WeNatureEnns is a true showcase project for the renaturalisation of water bodies. It is a prime example of how renaturalisation can succeed without constraints and at eye level. I would like to thank all the partners who have made this large-scale project on the River Enns possible. We are creating real added value for the environment and the entire region!" says Simone Schmiedtbauer, Provincial Councillor for Agriculture, Forestry, Housing and Energy, Water and Resource Management.

"This extensive renaturalisation project makes it possible to restore lost habitats. This project thus makes a significant contribution to restoring the ecology and environment and to achieving the nature conservation goals of the European Union," says Michael Amerer, Managing Director of VERBUND Hydro Power. "Our thanks go first and foremost to our partners, with whom we have worked together for many years on a whole series of ecological projects. On the one hand, the European Union, which is making the realisation of this LIFE project on the River Enns possible with funding from the LIFE+ Fund, as well as the Federal Ministry responsible for water management and the Province of Styria. "

"At VERBUND Wasserkraft, we are investing more than 400 million euros in the renaturalisation of the local waters around our hydropower plants by 2027," says Karl Heinz Gruber, Managing Director of VERBUND Hydro Power. "Since the EU Water Framework Directive came into force 25 years ago, we are proud to have been recognised by the European Union thanks to a whole series of far-reaching LIFE projects on the Danube and Inn. We are now looking forward to applying this experience to the Enns and continuing the success story of our renaturalisation projects. "

Planned measures

The LIFE project WeNatureEnns / Blue Green Corridor Enns will significantly expand the available high-quality floodplain habitats, including hedges and meadows, over a stretch of 20 kilometres in the coming years, which will benefit a range of birds, fish, amphibians and invertebrates. In addition to the objectives of the Habitats Directives, the project supports the requirements of the Water Framework Directive by ultimately restoring good ecological status. By increasing the water storage capacity of the system, the project will also contribute to achieving the objectives of the Floods Directive.

The LIFE project is being realised by VERBUND in cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management and the Province of Styria with funding from the European Union. The investment volume amounts to EUR 22 million, 60% of which comes from the EU's LIFE+ Fund. The project was launched in 2024, construction is scheduled to begin in 2026 and end in 2031.

In dialogue with the residents of the Enns Valley

VERBUND also invited all Ennstal residents to the first dialogue event on the planned renaturation of the Enns. The planned measures were presented and discussed in dialogue with the population and new ideas were introduced. Further dialogue events will follow during the project period. At the same time, a photo competition was launched to find the most beautiful photos of animals, plants or natural scenes from the Enns Valley.