LIFE+ Traisen is finished!
Between 2009 and 2019, the LIFE+ Traisen project gave rise to a unique river landscape with a mosaic of existing and new habitats.
Many kinds of flora and fauna have already settled into the area. Many endangered kinds of flora and fauna have found a new home here. The river landscape will now continue to develop naturally and undisturbed.
A natural river course with densely vegetated banks: that’s what the area around the mouth of the Traisen looks like today. This was made possible by the LIFE+ Traisen project – Austria’s largest land restoration project to date.
Layman´s report Many kinds of flora and fauna have already settled into the area. Many endangered kinds of flora and fauna have found a new home here. The river landscape will now continue to develop naturally and undisturbed.
A natural river course with densely vegetated banks: that’s what the area around the mouth of the Traisen looks like today. This was made possible by the LIFE+ Traisen project – Austria’s largest land restoration project to date.
LIFE+ Traisen: New life in the floodplain
Overview of the LIFE+ Traisen project
The Traisen is Lower Austria’s longest river and empties into the Danube below the power plant at Altenwörth. The wetland landscape in this area was created from scratch.
Project objectives 
Project success
The LIFE+ project created the new lower course of the Traisen, which is not a revitalisation of an old section of river, but a complete redesign of a dynamic river and wetland habitat. The water in the Traisen was diverted into this new river bed and the old channel retained to provide relief during very high floods and as a body of standing water.
Project success 
Scientific support
The supporting monitoring demonstrates the success enjoyed by nature in the project area. Numerous scientific surveys deal with the positive effects of the LIFE+ Traisen project.
Downloads and publications Partners in the LIFE+ Traisen project
VERBUND took on the project management and the majority of the costs. The EU funded large parts of the project with means from the EU-LIFE+ Nature and Biodiversity Fund.
Other financing partners: Office of the Lower Austrian Provincial Government, Federal Ministry for Agriculture, Regions and Tourism, Lower Austria Landscape Fund, Lower Austrian Provincial Fisheries Association, viadona, and with the support of the Hezogenburg Monastery of the Augustinian Canons and the Grafenegg Forestry Commission. Also involved are the companies entitled to purchase electricity at the Altenwörth power plant: Energie AG, KELAG and VKW.
LIFE+ is a funding programme of the EU for supporting conservation projects in Natura 2000 areas. The Natura 2000 network of protected areas is intended to help preserve the diversity of wild flora and fauna as well as habitats throughout Europe. The LIFE+ Traisen project is making a significant contribution to improving the Natura 2000 area.
Other financing partners: Office of the Lower Austrian Provincial Government, Federal Ministry for Agriculture, Regions and Tourism, Lower Austria Landscape Fund, Lower Austrian Provincial Fisheries Association, viadona, and with the support of the Hezogenburg Monastery of the Augustinian Canons and the Grafenegg Forestry Commission. Also involved are the companies entitled to purchase electricity at the Altenwörth power plant: Energie AG, KELAG and VKW.
LIFE+ is a funding programme of the EU for supporting conservation projects in Natura 2000 areas. The Natura 2000 network of protected areas is intended to help preserve the diversity of wild flora and fauna as well as habitats throughout Europe. The LIFE+ Traisen project is making a significant contribution to improving the Natura 2000 area.