After reservoir damming

A huge mudslide rolls through Pinzgau

The sediment from the Klammsee is only stored temporarily at the Hinterwald landfill site.(Bild: EXPA/ JFK)

The damming of the Kaprun high mountain reservoirs in Salzburg does not leave people and nature unscathed: 800 truckloads full of fine sediment have to be transported to Taxenbach via interim storage.

Procedural lawyers, ministry experts, representatives of the authorities, ecological construction supervisors and many more: countless experts have been gathering in Kaprun for months. Every ten years, the high mountain reservoirs operated by Verbund and central to western Austria's blackout protection need to be maintained. The necessary damming of the Mooserboden and Wasserfallboden reservoirs to check the dam walls is no small intervention in nature.

Tons of sediment have to be dredged from the Klammsee reservoir(Bild: EXPA/ JFK)

The sediment from the Klammsee is only stored temporarily at the Hinterwald landfill site.(Bild: EXPA/ JFK)

Tons of material
Masses of churned-up fine sediment have been discharged since work began in December, resulting in a dark gray, cloudy Kapruner Ache. Tons of material have to be dredged from the Klammsee reservoir between the reservoirs and the Sigmund-Thun-Klamm tourist attraction. Any form of living organism is currently having a hard time.

In addition, at least 30,000 cubic meters of sediment - that's around 800 truckloads - have to be transported to the Rauriserhöhe quarry in Taxenbach via interim storage at the Hinterwald landfill site. An avalanche of mud is rolling through the Pinzgau for even longer.