Water diversion plan in Tyrol sparks environmental dispute

A planned diversion of water from the Namlosbach stream into the Rotlech reservoir has drawn criticism in the municipalities of Namlos and Stanzach in the Reutte district, ORF Tirol reports. E-Werke Reutte says the project would improve existing power facilities, while a citizens’ initiative warns of a serious intervention in a Natura 2000 area.

The project is currently in the submission phase. E-Werke Reutte says it plans to invest around 70 million euros over the next 10 years to optimise its group of power plants. One of five projects would divert additional water from the Namlosbach into the Rotlech reservoir.

The citizens’ initiative says between 50 and 80 percent of the stream’s water could be diverted. It supports the planned improvements to existing facilities but considers the removal of water from the previously untouched stream an irreversible intervention. Toni Knittel, a spokesperson for the initiative, said the designation of the Lech and its tributaries as Natura 2000 areas had led the group to believe the issue was settled.

Former ski-jumping Olympic champion Toni Innauer has also backed the initiative. He has worked for years as a WWF river ambassador and previously served on the board of the Tyrol Fisheries Association. Innauer called on E-Werke Reutte to give greater consideration to ecological factors when implementing the project.

The WWF also criticised the plan. Reinhard Urig, a WWF representative and board member of Naturpark Lech, referred to existing international, national and regional rules governing waterways and Natura 2000 areas.

E-Werke Reutte rejected the criticism in a written statement, although it has not yet given an interview on the project. The company described the plan as an “ecological donation” to other waterways and said claims about water extraction or possible negative effects on drinking water and fire-fighting water were contradicted by the available expert assessments.

Urig disputed that assessment, saying diverting 80 percent of the water at the intake point would change the stream’s water balance and sediment transport.

The citizens’ initiative is calling for greater transparency in the procedure and hopes E-Werke Reutte will reconsider. The project remains in the submission phase, and those involved say several years could pass before it is potentially implemented.