Drought threatens Bleistätter Moor, prompting urgent dredging plans
Monday 7th September 2026 on 11:15 in
Austria
Extreme drought is threatening the Bleistätter Moor wetland in Carinthia, where suction dredgers are needed to remove sediment from basins at the mouth of the Tiebel River, ORF reported.
The basins cover 70 hectares and serve as a natural filter between the Tiebel, which flows into the area near Steindorf, and Lake Ossiach. Created artificially, they have developed over the past decade into a habitat for numerous animal and plant species. The buffer also helps prevent the algae growth that previously affected the lake.
However, the groundwater level has remained significantly below normal for about 18 months, causing parts of the wetland to dry out. Material carried in by the natural inflow can no longer be removed, allowing more areas to fill with sediment and become overgrown.
Peter Krameter of the Lake Ossiach Water Association said the low water level had led to dense vegetation in shallow-water zones that have been exposed for 18 months. This has ecological effects and is changing the landscape, he said. Higher water levels could alter the situation again. Krameter said he had not previously experienced such long periods of low water.
He said sediment washed into a flooding basin needed to be removed with suction dredgers to preserve its function as a plant-based water treatment system. Sediment should also be cleared regularly, particularly near the Tiebel mouth, to ensure water continues to flow through the entire basin.
Krameter said now was the right time for the dredging. He estimated the cost at slightly more than one million euros and warned that further delays could increase the expense. He has worked on the implementation and maintenance of the Bleistätter Moor for almost 30 years.
The office responsible for nature conservation, headed by Carinthian state councillor Marika Lager-Pöllinger of the Social Democratic Party, told ORF that it was working on the best technical and economic solution. It is also consulting the state of Burgenland, which has experience with suction dredging at Lake Neusiedl. The aim is to move ahead quickly and find a solution soon.