Vegetation is an essential part of soil bioengineering measures for river bank restauration. However, an added value for this sustainable engineering and the ecology is only given if the right conditions and a sufficient amount of time is offered. Experts at viadonau for ecology, conservation and ecological engineering visited the river bank at Johler Arm in autumn 2018, which has been redeveloped in cooperation with the organization Geoverde, to see how the vegetation develops due to the newly built structures.
The as a stepped pile wall designed wood structure is supposed to protect the Hollitzer Allee from the ongoing bank erosion and has already proved its stabilizing effect during the high-water levels in the first half of 2019. Responsible for the stabilizing effect in the future, are mainly the plants which were built into the construction. The experts on site noted, that the incorporated widows are visibly at ease at the newly built site, are growing fresh roots and already started to stabilize the ground.
The bank restoration shall be further observed and maintained. After all, the structure should be preserved as long as possible – just as the recently discovered medieval river bank construction in the inner city of Vienna.