70 years ago, the Innviertel was affected by a flood disaster – the Inn in Schärding rose to a water level of 11.34 meters in 1954. By comparison: the Innlände is affected from around six meters. In the meantime, measures such as mobile flood protection have been taken in Schärding and retention basins have been built along the Innviertel streams.
“The flood disasters in recent decades have shown us clearly that there is no such thing as 100 percent protection, every flood disaster is different and presents us with new challenges,” said State Councilor Stefan Kaineder. “It is not a question of if, but when the next flood will come. Despite comprehensive measures, education, preparation and forecast models, 100 percent protection and an exact forecast are not possible. That is why the interaction of all affected areas is so important.” Healthy soils and natural rivers are the best precautions.
In the 15 years following 1954, 61 million schillings were spent in the Innviertel region to repair the damage, relocate the unregulated channels, build safety structures and take precautions to extinguish the floods: 32 million schillings in the Braunau district, 26 million schillings in the Ried district and three million schillings in the Schärding district. Due to the floods of 1954 and the resulting damage, planning for protection projects in the Mattigtal and the Ache catchment area began in the Braunau water district.
In 1978, the Mattig drainage plan and the flood retention and partial expansion to Uttendorf were drawn up. The Hainbach infiltration basin was built between 1975 and 1985. In addition to numerous regulations on the Mattig, the Mühlheimer Ache and the Antiesen between the 1960s and 1980s, the Teichstätt retention basin was built between 1985 and 1993, which is currently being expanded to accommodate a 100-year event.
Construction of the Helpfau-Uttendorf flood protection is scheduled to begin next year. Flood protection has already been built in Aspach, Pischelsdorf and Schneegattern.
On the Salzach, the six-kilometer-long existing flood protection dam in Ettenau was renovated. In the upper reaches of the Antiesen there are three retention basins with a total capacity of around 1.2 million cubic meters – plus basins in Sonnleiten, on the Mauerkirchner Brunnbach and in Mettmach-Großweiffendorf. In the area of the Braunau water district there are currently 36 retention basins with a volume of more than 1000 m³. Nine systems have a capacity of more than 100,000 m³.
