Flood Protection Measures for River Mareit, Sterzing (South Tyrol)

22.06.11 - The dangerous River Mareit periodically owerflows the banks and floods the lower and plain areas with industrial districts and road transport infrastructure like the Brenner highway. Flood protection measures are devoted just as well to revitalize ecology, to improve landscape esthetics and to create facilities for recreation.

In South Tyrol the once lovely Mareit river basin today face structural problems. Devastating floods endanger periodically the lower and plain areas, gravel exploitation and pitiless river correction lowered the groundwater level excessively, disproportionate industrial development harms landscape’s and nature’s values.

On the other hand tourists and local visitors are eager to find an enjoyful mix of alpine recreation, intense agriculture wants to make a living and the nature preservation board wants to protect and enhance the fragile ecology.

The Autonomous Province of Bozen South Tyrol, has asked a team of planners and engineers to work out a concept focussing on following objectives:

• Flood protection, main focus on commercial development areas
• Landscape planning
• Revaluation of ecology
• Visitor guiding

The planning team proposes interdependent solutions for all objectives. Consequently, flood protection measures are devoted just as well to revitalize ecology, to improve landscape esthetics and to create facilities for recreation.

The scheme is developed in a planning process in consultation with the demands and interests of all concerned parties. The parties such as the communal governments, the nature protection authorities, the forest authorities, the water authorities, the representants of agriculture, the representants of outdoor sports etc. were involved during workshops finding broadly accepted solutions.