Identification of historical water courses and alluvial forest sites in Austria

Restoration projects in floodplains require fundamental knowledge of the natural river morphological spatial requirements of the various river systems. In this project, the following ecologically relevant spatial units are identified and delineated for all Austrian rivers with a catchment area of more than 100 km²: (1) potentially natural floodplain zone, (2) flowed through river arms (active channel), (3) fluvially dynamic floodplain area, (4) historically designated alluvial forest sites, (5) historically designated wetlands (meadows, pastures, bogs), and (6) arable land historically strongly influenced by adjacent river arms. Historical maps (cadastre) and current geodata, which are evaluated using GIS, serve as a basis. The aim is to provide a sound basis for the discussion and planning of renaturation measures on Austria's rivers and for the “Floodplain Strategy Austria 2030+”.