Project in Ramingstein

New nature islands instead of a power station on the Mur

Work on the Mur in Ramingstein has already begun.(Bild: ROLAND_HOLITZKY)

The renaturation of the Mur is entering the next round in Lungau. Following a completed project in St. Michael, the excavators have now also started work in Ramingstein and initial talks are underway in Tamsweg.

Pure nature on the Mur: this is the course in Lungau for the time being. Conservationists and the energy industry are known to be fighting over every kilometer of the river. Plans for a possible Mur power plant were scrapped years ago.

Two additional headlands are being created
After new Mur islands were created in St. Michael three years ago, there are now plans to reclaim natural space in Ramingstein. The excavators have already started work. The river is to flow more naturally again over an area of around one hectare. "Two new Mur islands are being created in the middle, creating two headlands," explains Mayor Leonhard Kocher (ÖVP). This will also give the Mur more space in the event of flooding.

The mayor does not want to assess in detail whether this means that a Mur power plant in Lungau is completely off the table. "I'm not a water ecologist. But there are no current discussions with me about this." The main focus is now on protection in the event of flooding, as several smaller tributaries from ditches also flow into the Mur in the 94-square-kilometre municipality. Recently, heavy rainfall has also caused increased damage in Ramingstein. In 2022, a fire engine crashed.

Around one million euros is being invested in the project. A few river kilometers earlier, in Tamsweg, there are also plans to create near-natural paths along the Mur. Talks are already underway, as Mayor Wolfgang Pfeifenberger (ÖVP) confirms.