The renaturation of sections of the Neckar, which began with the Federal Garden Show in 2023, is entering the next round. In September, Baden-Württemberg‘s Environment Minister Thekla Walker presented the city of Mannheim with a funding notice worth almost 11.51 million euros for natural water development in the third construction phase, the east section.
State Environment Minister Thekla Walker is giving a further 11.5 million euros to develop the Neckar, which was previously operated as a shipping canal, in a natural way.
Photo: Ministry of the Environment Baden-Württemberg/Regenscheit
“For around 100 years, the Neckar was used as a shipping canal in the area of the Mannheim city route. There is therefore only a small variety of plant and animal species on and in the water. The unique large-scale project of the near-natural development of the Neckar is intended to greatly improve this situation.” , explains Environment Minister Thekla Walker. The revitalization of the river is supported over a total length of over three kilometers, including floodplain development.
The first two construction phases had already been implemented as part of the 2023 Federal Garden Show. Walker was pleased: “Just one year after the implementation of the first revitalization phase on the Neckar, clear successes and positive developments can already be seen.” Many native fish such as the barbel and nose species were spotted. Various dragonfly species also responded very well to the newly created habitats on the river shortly after the bank flattening was completed.
With the third construction phase that follows, the largest coherent revitalization section on the Neckar will continue to be implemented. This further enables the creation of significant and undisturbed biotopes. For example, still waters, an island and inaccessible areas will be created that offer amphibians and birds a valuable retreat. This major project on the Neckar in Mannheim is therefore a unique opportunity to create large-scale habitats for animals and plants typical of the location of a former Neckarau landscape in the inner-city area.
cm/Ministry of the Environment Baden-Württemberg
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