A new WILDisland is taking shape in Slovakia. After more than a year of intensive work, the technical documentation for the revitalisation of the Klížska Nemáriver section has now been completed. In close cooperation with designers from Slovenský vodohospodársky podnik (SVP) and experts from the Water Research Institute (VÚVH), BROZ has developed a restoration concept to enable the creation of a new dynamic river island directly in the main channel of the Danube.
The planned intervention will be the first revitalisation of this kind in Slovakia. Several existing groynes (river training structures that guide flow into the navigation channel) will be shortened and partially disconnected from the riverbank. This will allow the formation of a permanently flowing side-channel, leading to the development of an isolated island and more natural river dynamics in this highly regulated river stretch.
The newly created side-channel will provide shallow, low-current habitats ideal for juvenile Danube fish species and will enhance conditions for waterbirds by reducing human disturbance. Over time, the site is expected to initiate natural gravel sedimentation and promote the development of new patches of the priority alluvial forest habitat 91E0*.
The long-term vision is ambitious: the entire system of eight groynes at Klížska Nemá is planned to be redesigned in three phases, gradually restoring a more natural riverine landscape.
The project team has already launched the approval process and held numerous meetings with key authorities and stakeholders, including the Slovak-Hungarian Commission for Border Waters, the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic, and the Ministry of Transport. The feedback so far has been very positive.
This work is carried out as part of the LIFE WILDisland – Danube Wild Island Habitat Corridor project and represents an important step forward in restoring natural hydromorphology and ecological connectivity along the Danube.
Stay tuned for updates as Slovakia prepares to welcome its new WILDisland!
