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Species protection measures before a new Traunfall power plant

 
May 21, 2025 | Susanne Winter

Danner Landschaftsbau from Vorchdorf, a Felbermayr Group company, began extensive landscape ecological measures in February 2025 before the construction of the new Traunfall power plant. In the affected EU nature reserve, this includes the installation of an amphibian protection fence of around 13 kilometers in length. In addition, over 80 alternative habitats will be created in Roitham, in the vicinity of the power plant project. These measures are a prerequisite for the planned new power plant construction.

Philipp Öllinger, construction manager at Danner Landscaping, underlines the importance of these steps: “The protective measures for amphibians are a fundamental ecological contribution before the main construction work starts so that Energie AG can carry out the planned and officially approved construction project at the Traunfall hydroelectric power plant.” The ecological building supervision ensures the modest implementation of ecologically relevant official tasks during the construction phase. Construction starts after the established fishing fields are reptile and amphibian free.

Foils and fence bucket method 
Öllinger explains the relocation procedure: “Amphibians and reptiles, such as frogs, lizards and snakes, must be collected in advance. This is done using the so-called temporary fence-bucket method.” For this purpose, the approximately 13 kilometers long amphibious fences were built around the construction fields and along the construction roads and divided the area into smaller sections. The fence, consisting of a special plastic fabric, has a finished height of 45 centimeters. “The terrain always presents us with challenges,” says Öllinger.

Around 600 buckets, which were buried at ground level along the fence and within the fishing fields, are used to collect the animals. The animals collected there are carefully relocated to the new replacement habitats. Daily checks ensure the complete recording of living organisms.

In addition, Danner employees laid out more than 150 snake plates made of pond liner as hiding places. “An ecologist regularly checks whether there are snakes among them and relocates them,” adds Öllinger. After construction approval, the fences in the fishing fields are removed again. The outer fences and fences along the construction road remain until construction is complete to prevent the animals from migrating again to the construction fields.

More than 80 replacement habitats As 
a compensatory measure for general habitat improvement for the herpetofauna, Danner Landschaftsbau is building more than 80 replacement habitats. These include:

  • Egg laying piles
  • Legsteinmauern
  • Woodpile
  • Branches and rootstock piles
  • Microbodies of water
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