The effects of the heat:

Where there used to be 3 meters of water, there is now only sand

Green Party State Councilor Stefan Kaineder during a site visit in Langenstein. Children used to jump into the water from this bridge.(Bild: Werner Dedl)

Where children used to jump from a bridge into water three meters deep, there’s hardly anything left of the Gusen River these days. During an on-site visit with State Councilor for the Environment Stefan Kaineder in Langenstein, it becomes clear just how severe the drought in the state has become—and what needs to be done about it.

The contrast couldn’t be more stark: where the water stood meters high during the 2013 flood disaster, the stream bed has completely dried up during this hot summer. We’re talking about the Gusen in the district of Perg in the Mühlviertel region, where State Councilor for the Environment Stefan Kaineder went to see the situation for himself on Monday.

There’s hardly anything left to see that resembles a stream here. Instead of water, all we see during our on-site visit in Langenstein is sandy ground. Mayor Christian Aufreiter (SPÖ) told the “Krone”: “From this bridge where we’re standing now, we used to jump into the Gusen. The water here used to be three meters deep.”

Provincial Councilor Stefan Kaineder in the dry stream bed.(Bild: Werner Dedl)

Mayor Wants to Dig in the Stream Bed
The mayor now wants to get to the bottom of the matter—literally. He’s considering driving an excavator into the dry stream bed and digging. Everyone wants to know if there might still be water flowing underneath—which, of course, wouldn’t change the situation.

That’s because the Gusen is now affected by extremely low water levels over long stretches. Where water is still present at all, in some cases only small pockets of residual water remain. These can warm up to as high as 24 degrees. This becomes a problem for fish: They can become trapped in isolated pools, while at the same time the high temperatures worsen conditions in the water. Provincial Councilor Kaineder says during the on-site inspection: “We can see very clearly here which direction nature is heading. The effects of climate change are very clear and unmistakable here.”

(Bild: Werner Dedl)

“How is he supposed to feed his animals?”
In a conversation with government officials, farmers, and the mayor—who are seeking state funding—the Green Party representative is even more explicit: “Look around at how brown everything is. Just last week, a farmer from the Mühlviertel called me and asked how he’s supposed to feed his animals.”

And by then, at the latest, it’s also about money. Because municipalities, the agricultural sector, and water management must increasingly adapt to longer periods of drought, but at the same time to heavy rainfall and flooding. Kaineder: “The question is, who will pay for the necessary adjustments that must be made due to extreme weather events?”

600 Meters of the Waldaist River Are Being Restored
An example of what such an adaptation might look like can be seen at the Pfahnlmühle in Pregarten. There, the Waldaist is being revitalized over a length of about 600 meters. The river, which had previously been heavily regulated, is being given more space again and is intended to become more resilient to extreme weather events.

Large stones and massive wooden structures create varied currents and water depths. This results in deeper and cooler areas, as well as refuge zones for fish. At the same time, the river will be able to absorb and retain more water during heavy rainfall. This means that a single renovation project will help address two extremes: too little water during long dry spells and too much water after heavy downpours.