New sensors aim to give early flood warnings in Habachtal

A new monitoring station in the Habachtal valley near Bramberg aims to help warn settlements in the Upper Pinzgau earlier of possible flooding, ORF reports. The system will track sediment with sensors, laser measurements, cameras and drone flights.

The Habach carries increasing amounts of gravel, stones and driftwood, which can raise flood risks in the Upper Pinzgau and along the Salzach valley as far as the Tennengau and Flachgau. The article links the increase to glacier melt, thawing permafrost and a rising snowline.

The Salzburg Torrent and Avalanche Control Service and the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna are carrying out the research project. Its monitoring is intended to help experts understand sediment movements and plan how much material can be carried into the Salzach and how much needs to be held back by torrent barriers, said Gebhard Neumayr, head of the service’s Salzburg division.

Geophones installed in the Habach’s stream bed record vibrations as stones roll or bounce over steel plates. This allows sediment transport to be tracked continuously, including during floods. At a torrent barrier, material will also be collected in a trap and weighed. Project leader Rolf Rindler said the measurements will show the quantity and grain sizes of the sediment and help calibrate the geophones.

Laser measurements will create a three-dimensional image of the sediment deposits in a retention basin, while drone flights and specialised cameras will add to the monitoring. The data is intended to help authorities make decisions more quickly during emergencies.