Isar Plan Munich

The Isar is an alpine river that until recently was developed into a canal-like channel within the urban area of Munich. Since 2000, the so-called Isar Plan has been implemented: The necessary flood protection and the ecological situation should be improved, attractive open space for the population in the surrounding Wilhelminian quarters should be created.
The last realization section is located between Braunauer railroad bridge and Deutsches Museum. The inner-city location, the listed buildings and the numerous people seeking recreation place particularly high demands on planning and execution here. Implementation took place in sections and was completed in 2011.

New life for the Isar
(Text from the info sheet "New life for the Isar",
http://www.wwa-m.bayern.de/projekte_und_programme/isarplan/doc/gesamtplan.pdf,
Publisher: Water Management Office Munich)

"Protection from the flood"
The historically based fear of the floods of the Isar could be largely taken away from the city of Munich with the commissioning of the Sylvenstein reservoir in 1959, since its water retention capacity significantly buffers the development of flood waves in the upper reaches. However, the experience of the last decades also teaches that there is no absolute flood protection. Calculations made before the start of the Isar renaturation show that the existing dikes cannot withstand today's requirements for a flood event that occurs statistically every 100 years. It was primarily this realization that led to the birth of the "Isar Plan," which, in addition to improved flood protection, also takes into account the water ecology and recreational functions
of the Isar. The old dikes are being extended and upgraded in accordance with the current state of hydraulic engineering. Thanks to the use of environmentally friendly construction techniques, large parts of the tree population on and around the dikes could be preserved.

"Wild river in the middle of the city"
In order to give the Isar back some of its original momentum, it is first necessary to free it from its canal-like forced corset. Breaking up the banks, which are fixed with stones and concrete, allows the river to develop its own riverbed within controlled limits.
As can be observed in the already renaturalized areas, the widening of the riverbed with flattened bank sections promotes the formation of diverse water structures such as gravel islands and gravel banks. As a result, the renaturalized stretch not only gains in scenic appeal, but also in ecological value. Gravel banks in particular provide different habitats for a variety of animal and plant species. Numerous small creatures and rare fish species such as grayling and nase find new habitats and an ideal nursery through gravel relocations at higher water flows. In addition, each flood brings with it large quantities of dead wood, which is washed up on the Isar beach. Unlike in the past, it is left in place as far as possible as an important structural element for the development of rare insect and snail species.

"Neue Isarlust"
The Isar with its floodplains has always been one of the most popular recreational areas close to the city for the people of Munich. The desire to preserve the "experience Isar" unadulterated and where possible still to improve was from the outset one of the main concerns of the Isar plan. Now, even in the inner-city section, the water landscape presents itself more openly. Flattening of the banks and the terraced design of the adjacent bank sections ensure a wide view of the Isar and access to the river. Purposefully placed stones in the riverbed favor the flow mosaic of the river and in this way promote the emergence of gravel islands.