Dimensioning of artificial floods for floodplain restoration of the Saane – Canton Fribourg

In the Saane River, decades of residual flow management resulted in a lack of flow and bedload dynamics and thus to a macrozoobenthos community with low diversity. The artificial floods released since 2016 have led to positive changes in biodiversity, including an increase in EPT taxa, as an indicator of variable flow and good habitat conditions that typically occur in dynamic rivers and floodplains.  To maintain this development in the long term, these floods must be released repeatedly. However, there are  uncertainties about the Magnitude, duration and frequencie about flood release in order to ecologically effective and at the same time economically viable.

Product

eQcharta GmbH and ZHAW, together with the power plant operator and the Federal Office for the Environment, assess and evaluate the effects of these floods with long-term monitoring of the macrozoobenthos and their habitat conditions (algae growth, organic material, etc.). So far, it has been shown that the floods must be of a certain magnitude in order to have a sustainable positive effect on the biocoenosis and reduction of algae growth and should be released several times a year. Conversely, the proportionality of very high floods to their ecological benefits decreases overall. The results thus contribute to the dimensioning of artificial floods, both ecologically and economically.

Contributors

Publications

Döring, M., Tonolla, D., Robinson, C. T., Schleiss, A., Stähly, S., Gufler, C., Geilhausen, M., Di Cugno, N. (2018). Künstliches Hochwasser an der Saane: Eine Massnahme zum nachhaltigen Auenmanagement. Wasser, Energie, Luft. 110(2), S. 119-127.

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Michael Döring

Michael Döring
Prof. ZHAW, Dr. sc. ETHZ
MSc. Geography

Founder and member of the management board

In his many years of work in applied ecosystem research, spatial analysis, remote sensing and risk management in science and practice, Michael has implemented a wide range of projects, especially in restoration and the rehabilitation of hydropower. This resulted in the foundation of eQcharta GmbH as an Eawag spin-off in 2013 and since 2014 in his work as a lecturer in ecohydrology at the ZHAW.

Diego Tonolla
Dr. rer. nat. FU Berlin
MSc. Environmental Sciences ETHZ

Member of the management board

Diego has many years of scientific and practical experience in applied ecosystem research, spatial analysis, method development and consulting, which he has successfully implemented in various projects on ecological restoration, hydropower rehabilitation and impact monitoring. He has also been a lecturer in ecohydrology at the ZHAW since 2015.

If you desire detailed information about our publications and wish to delve deeper into our research findings, please click on the ResearchGate link below our contact details.

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