Nature-oriented redesign of the Körsch in Denkendorf

The technical development of the Körsch, which was carried out after the Second World War for flood protection reasons, did not fulfil the ecological functions that a watercourse should fulfil and that the European Water Framework Directive stipulates. The unsustainable technical bank protections were disintegrating, erosion was gnawing away at the banks, structures necessary for aquatic life were either non-existent or inadequate, the path alongside the stream was slipping in many places and was no longer safe for traffic: there was a need for action. The goal was to bring the watercourse closer to nature.

Today, however, flood protection is more of an issue than ever before and is the top priority for those living near the stream. Through its membership in the Zweckverband Hochwasserschutz Körsch and the concept it has developed with numerous measures on the Körsch, the community also has the opportunity to combine the two topics of flood protection and ecological watercourse development. However, as is so often the case, there was a lack of space for such a near-natural redesign in the middle of the village. But the municipality was ready to think of a big solution: to redesign and narrow the adjoining street, to rearrange the footpath situation and assign it to the street, to include adjoining private properties in the planning and to convince the adjoining owners that part of their garden would become a brook. With a lot of persuasion, perseverance and the support of the state of Baden-Württemberg in the financial implementation, the municipality of Denkendorf has managed to give the Körsch and the adjacent Heinrich-Werner-Straße a new face. The return to nature is a plus for flood protection and ecology. Valuable habitats for many animal and plant species and opportunities for citizens to experience them have been created.