Important information events to protect water bodies in the Regensburg district!

Important information events to protect water bodies in the Regensburg district!

The Regensburg Water Management Office has successfully completed the recording of third-order waters in the northern Regensburg district and in the city of Regensburg. The results will be presented as part of the “Water Edge Strip Scene” project. This will happen in two upcoming information sessions, which will take place both on site and online.

The first event will take place on November 18, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. in the Zeitlarn multi-purpose hall, Lauber Str. 1, 93197 Zeitlarn. Another information event will be offered online on November 19, 2025, also at 7:30 p.m. Those interested can contact by email Gewaesserrandtrip@wwa-r.bayern.de register. The target group of the events is not only affected property owners, but also responsible authorities, associations and municipalities.

Content of the events

The importance of the waterfront strips and the procedure for classifying them will be discussed at the information events. Examples and maps with results are also presented. Please note that no questions about individual properties will be answered during the events.

The draft maps, which serve as the basis for the presentations, will be made available on the website of the Regensburg Water Management Office from November 17, 2025. The official release of the backdrop for the northern district and the city of Regensburg is planned for July 1, 2026. Feedback on the draft maps can be sent in writing to the Water Management Office from November 17, 2025 to January 9, 2026. Contact options are by email and by post: Regensburg Water Management Office, Landshuter Straße 59, 93053 Regensburg.

Legal framework

The legal basis for waterfront strips was created by the “Save the Bees” referendum in Bavaria in 2019. Article 16 of the Bavarian Nature Conservation Act prohibits agricultural and horticultural uses in bank areas of natural waters with a width of at least 5 meters, and in state areas even with a width of 10 meters. This regulation is an essential contribution to the protection of sensitive ecosystems, such as water bodies, which can be severely endangered by agricultural activities.

The water management authorities in Bavaria continually carry out mapping to classify water bodies. The current mapping process concerns around 2,600 kilometers of third-order waters, the survey of which was completed from December 2020 to March 2023. The legally binding results have been published in the Environmental Atlas since July 1, 2023 and are also available digitally. Waterfront strips of at least 5 meters per bank must already be maintained. For the new map drafts, changes can be taken into account in advance until March 20, 2025.

In summary, the ongoing water protection initiative shows the importance of waterfront strips for the environment. These edge strips make a decisive contribution to reducing the entry of pesticides and connecting the habitats. The public is invited to the information events to find out about current developments in this area.