Flood protection in Mödlich: widening the dike for more safety!

Flood protection in Mödlich: widening the dike for more safety!

In the Lenzer Wische region, more precisely in the Mödlich district, the State Office for the Environment (LfU) has taken a significant step to improve flood protection. The construction work to upgrade the dike has officially begun after extensive preparations, including initial construction consultation. The aim of this measure is to optimize a critical section of the Elbe dike in order to ensure safety from flooding until the end of this year.

The affected dike area, which extends within the Mödlich settlement on the main right-hand dike of the Elbe, was chosen because of its unfavorable construction and steep embankments. These embankments, which are inadequate on both the water and land sides, lead to challenges in dike maintenance and significantly reduce stability.

Construction work and safety measures

In order to increase the required stability of the dike, the landside embankment will be redesigned. The plan is to flatten the slope to a 1:3 slope. Special materials are used here, including easily compactable fine sand and gravel sand, which are intended to help drain water efficiently if Elbe water penetrates. This construction project will increase the contact area of ​​the dike by around six meters, so that the base of the dike will shift towards Wilkens Brack.

Another aspect of the construction project is that parts of it are being carried out on private property. Therefore, coordination had to be made with the property owners. During the construction period, the dike defense path, which is part of the popular Elbe cycle path, will be closed. This will result in a necessary detour for cyclists and pedestrians to ensure that the construction work does not result in injuries or other disruption.

In order to minimize the impact on people and nature, construction was strategically scheduled to start in the fall. In addition, additional compensation and replacement measures are planned to offset possible negative effects. However, due to the recent flooding, there could be delays in the construction process.

Significance and financing of dike renovation

The current old dike was last renovated in 1995, with the height of the dike being determined based on the design flood of 7.45 meters at the Wittenberge gauge at the time. The now renovated section will maintain this height, but the planned widening allows an adjustment to the current design flood of 7.99 meters, which could provide additional safety.

The total cost of the project amounts to around 1.35 million euros, which is financed by funds from the European Union (EAFRD), the federal government (GAK) and the state. These investments are part of a broader plan to increase flood safety along the Elbe, with over 76 kilometers of dike sections in the Prignitz having already been reinforced. 99 percent of these sections have now been raised to at least the design flood level of 7.45 meters, while around 30 percent have been raised to the current standard of 7.99 meters.

The current construction work in Mödlich is therefore not just a local project, but part of an important overall concept to protect residents against future flood events. The well-integrated planning and financing strategies underline the need to respond proactively to climate change and extreme weather to ensure the safety of the population and the necessary infrastructure.

For further details on this project, see the current reporting on cityreport.pnr24-online.de.