Naturnahe Deichpflege - Arbeitshilfe des Bayerischen Landesamtes für Umwelt

River dikes are primarily civil engineering constructive works for flood protection. Due to an adapted management of their vegetation they often evolved to ecologically valuable habitats such as extensively managed flowering meadows or dry grasslands on calcareous substrates. Being straight-lined landscape elements they can also contribute to effective biotope network systems. The ecologically sound maintenance of river dike vegetation is explicitly mentioned in the new Water Management Action Programme (“PRO Gewässer 2030”) set up by the Bavarian Water Management Administration. There it is emphasized as a contribution to improve biodiversity and an important issue in the synergistic implementation of both flood protection and conservation. The guidance document of the Bavarian Environmental Agency (LfU) gives technical and organisational advice. It includes e.g. recommendations for the frequency and the patterns for cutting, for the appropriate technical equipment, for grazing as an alternative to mowing or for dealing with protected species and invasive plants. It has been elaborated by experts in flood protection, nature conservation and ecology of rivers and floodplains in a working group. This group included persons responsible for the practical work in dike maintenance at the Regional Water Management Agencies (Wasserwirtschaftsämter).