Project areas |
Project area AustriaThe study is performed on a 3 km long reach of the Danube River in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg (river km 1,884.50 to 1,887.50). This reach is part of the free flowing section east of Vienna and is located in the national park ‘Donauauen’. In this area the Danube River is historically described as gravel dominated, laterally active river with elements of both braided and meandering river types. The average bed slope is about 0.4 m/km with an average arithmetic mean sediment diameter dm of 27.5 mm. This reach is characterized by a 30° bend, regulated and rip-rap-protected river banks on both sides of the river and a row of 15 groynes on the left side of the river. The two side-arm systems on either side of the river are only connected at discharges above the mean flow. There are two gravel bars within the reach. In the area of the level ‘Wildungsmauer’ the Danube has an annual mean flow (MQ) of 1,930 m³/s and a bankfull discharge of 5,060 m³/s (1% duration of exceedance). Project area HungaryThe project area is situated in north-west Hungary between Nagybajcs and Gönyű (river km 1,796 and 1,800). In this region the Danube River is highly influenced by land use such as arable farming.
The river bed is meandering and characterized by low river depths and a complex topography. It is constantly exposed to erosion and sedimentation processes. This characteristics are in particular caused by two specifics upstream of the project area. The hydraulic power station Gabcikovo (Slovakia) is located 25 km upstream influences the sediment budget. About 10 km upstream the bed slope is changing from 0.35 m/km to 0.15 m/km and reduces forces of sediment transport and promotes its deposition in the project area. The annual mean flow (MQ) is 2,000 m³/s and up to |