Start of construction for Kulturgraben in Griesbeckerzell: Flood protection in focus!

Start of construction for Kulturgraben in Griesbeckerzell: Flood protection in focus!

The construction project to improve flood protection in Griesbeckerzell has begun. The first of four planned construction phases of the cultural ditch will start on September 3, 2025, the aim of which is to drain away water masses during heavy rain events. This measure is particularly important because, given climate change, experts predict that extreme flood events will become more frequent. The current construction project is funded by the Free State of Bavaria and has already been planned by the specialist office, the Donauwörth Water Management Office has assessed it and the Aichach-Friedberg District Office has granted approval. A central player in this project is the Leonhard Weiss company, which was commissioned with construction phase 1.1, the stormwater canal. This construction work is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.

Work is currently underway on Haunswieser Strasse and was able to be carried out without closure. Since August 25th, however, Haunswieser Straße has been completely closed to enable the necessary pipe digging work. Residents and road users are asked to observe the changed traffic routing and use the diversion signs to avoid disruption.

Flood protection as a community task

Flood protection is a central task of the state and is becoming increasingly important in Bavaria. The need for preventative flood protection was made clear by numerous flood events, including the catastrophic floods at Pentecost in 1999. In response to this, the Bavarian State Ministry for the Environment and Consumer Protection launched the “Flood Protection – Action Program 2020” program, which was expanded in 2013 to become the “Flood Protection Action Program 2020plus”.

The Bavarian flood protection strategy is part of the “Bavarian Waters Action Program 2030” (PRO Waters 2030). This program not only covers flood protection, but also ecological aspects and social functions. It consists of three main pillars, with the first pillar focusing on the prevention of flood damage, while the second promotes the renaturation of water bodies and the third promotes the enhancement of the experience and recreation of water bodies.

To ensure effective flood risk management, close cooperation between different actors is required. This includes water management administrations, municipalities, district offices and citizens who need to be informed about flood risks. The creation of a river basin-specific flood risk management plan requires the coordination of these different interests in order to identify risks at an early stage and act preventively.

The measures in Griesbeckerzell are part of the Free State's efforts to improve flood safety in cities and communities. At the same time, the usability of contemporary flood protection concepts is emphasized, which must be taken into account in current and future planning.

For further information about the flood situation in Bavaria and the corresponding measures, read the reports from aichach.de, augsburger- Allgemeine.de and stmuv.bayern.de.