Development of the Zaberaue Renaturation of the Zaber

The new Layher Gerüstbau building in Cleebronn was implemented as part of a project-related development plan procedure ("Langwiesen IV"). It was very important to the Zabergäu Economic Development Association (ZWZ) and Layher that the majority of the necessary nature conservation compensatory measures be implemented promptly, perceptibly and directly on site. The main focus was to be the renaturation of a section of the Zaber in the association area. At the same time, a section of the Fürtlesbach, a tributary of the Zaber, was also renaturalized. The objectives of the renaturation of the two watercourses were different. While the existing straightened and deepened Zaber was given a completely new channel with a meandering, unbranched course, pronounced impact and sliding banks, differentiated profile design and extensive development areas in the floodplain in accordance with the model for the watercourse type, the redesign of the Fürtlesbach focused on the promotion and protection of the resident stone crayfish. This was achieved by introducing stone structures as crayfish habitats and installing a crayfish barrier to prevent the signal crayfish from migrating from the Zaber.

Numerous deadwood and stone structures were introduced into the bed of the Zaber to steer and revitalize the flow, the adjacent floodplain areas were lowered to promote the frequency of flooding and the natural development of typical riparian and floodplain vegetation was initiated by initial planting on the middle water line and the embankments. Another aim of the Zaber renaturation is to reactivate the missing dynamics between the Zaber and the floodplain and to enable floodplain-typical, nature-like flooding conditions. The watercourse redesigns were mapped hydraulically in the 2D model and the planning was adapted according to the results in order to extend the duration of floods without negatively affecting the flood discharge.



Intensive monitoring and targeted maintenance based on the model also developed by Geitz