Danube Island and New Danube Protect Millions of Inhabitants – Designed for a Flow Capacity of 14,000 m3 per Second
Due to heavy rainfall across Austria, Danube floodwaters are expected to reach Vienna as well, and the staff of the flood protection unit of the City of Vienna – Wiener Gewässer are prepared for all scenarios. The flood protection system in Vienna is ready for large volumes of water thanks to Danube Island and the New Danube. The flood control center of MA 45 at the inlet structure in Langenzersdorf, as well as the two other weirs 1 and 2 at the New Danube, will be staffed around the clock starting tomorrow morning.
New Danube as a Relief Channel for the Danube
Danube Island, stretching 21 kilometers in length and approximately 210 meters wide, is a massive protective structure that flanks the New Danube as a relief channel for the Danube River.
During high water levels, the New Danube relieves the main Danube. The New Danube is equipped with 3 weir structures. At normal water levels, it is a standing body of water. During floods, the weirs are opened. This alleviates the main stream and prevents flooding.
Once the Danube reaches a level of 5.20 meters at Korneuburg, the weir fields of the inlet structure will be overflowed, and the Danube floodwaters will flow into the New Danube without intervention. At a water level of approximately 6 meters, the weir fields will be slowly opened, and the floodwaters will be diverted in a controlled manner.
The entire dam system in and around Vienna is designed for a flow capacity of up to 14,000 cubic meters of water per second, which corresponds roughly to the largest flood ever recorded in Central Europe in 1501. Beginning with the construction of Danube Island 50 years ago, flood protection for the Danube in Vienna has been a success story and has proven to be a visionary initiative, particularly during the extreme floods of 2002 and 2013, which Vienna managed to weather almost unscathed.
Vienna Completed Flood Protection in 2021
From 2014 to 2019, the flood protection system Marchfeld Protection Dam, owned by the Danube Flood Protection Competition (DHK), was completely renovated with state-of-the-art technology by viadonau. The completion of work on the section between Eckartsau and Stopfenreuth in the summer of 2021 by the City of Vienna marked the conclusion of the major renovation project for flood protection on the Danube east of Vienna, completed in the past two years. The total project costs of approximately 110 million euros were shared among the federal government, Lower Austria, and Vienna.
Swimming Ban for the New Danube, Copa Cruise Operates No More
Due to the influx of Danube water into the New Danube, a swimming ban has been declared for the New Danube for water hygiene reasons. The swimming ban takes effect immediately.
For flood protection reasons, the two pontoon bridges over the New Danube, the Copa Footbridge and the Walulisobrücke, were already removed before the weekend. The Copa Cruise has also currently suspended operations, and the ferry boat has been relocated to a flood-safe area.
Info: www.wien.gv.at/umwelt/gewaesser/hochwasserschutz/donau/