LIFE Obere Drau II - Life in Upper Drau River, Austria

The project aimed to revitalise the river Drau in order to establish the Upper Drau as a 'Life vein' for the Upper Drau Valley region. The efforts focused on typical alpine rivers habitats and it further extended these measures on the Natura 2000 area. Innovative management solutions have been set up to solve problems, that have been recognised, but not solved yet as part of the first LIFE project, such as reducing the impacts from swell and increasing the input of bed load material to stabilise the river bed and the groundwater level. It also improved visitor information and develops visitor strategies on site. The Upper Drau served as a pilot study area: the project proposed under the Water Framework Directive as well cross boarder strategies to solve water management and ecological problems, e.g. at the river section along the border between Croatia and Hungary, where protection structures, extraction of bed load material and cutting through meanders have been being planned or implemented.