Driving forces in a floodplain restoration project - interaction between surface water, groundwater and morphodynamic processes during an ecological flooding

Kurzfassung/Abstract

Erosion, transport and deposition of sediment play a major role in restoration projects and sustainable river management. The main driving variables, water and sediment dynamics resurrect the natural processes in “riverscapes” and floodplains. After the first flooding of a new river course in the floodplain along the river Danube between Neuburg and Ingolstadt (Germany) in 2010 (up to 5 m3/sec) new morphological activity has started instantly. However, intensive erosion rates were measured during the first two controlled ecological flood events with water discharges 10 m3s-1 and 20 m3s-1 respectively. The relatively new river banks are prone to lateral erosion and during bankfull stages new undercut slopes have developed. To understand the processes in this new river channel the development is being recorded by a package of methods like e.g. terrestrial laserscanning (TLS) measurements.