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© BAW/Cosma zoom gallery -
-IGF-Cosma.JPEG/jcr:content/IMG_8700%20(c)%20IGF%20Cosma.JPEG "The image shows a steep cut bank along the Pielach River within the Pielach-Mühlau Nature Reserve in Lower Austria. Natural river dynamics continuously erode the outer bank of the meander, creating the distinctive riverbank visible in the photograph. The eroded sediment is transported downstream and deposited elsewhere as gravel bars and point bars. This ongoing interaction between erosion and sediment deposition shapes the natural character of the Pielach and creates a highly diverse river habitat. Cut banks are ecologically valuable habitats. They provide nesting sites for riverbank-breeding birds and habitat for numerous insects and other specialized species. Together with adjacent point bars and gravel banks, they contribute significantly to the high biodiversity of the Pielach-Mühlau Nature Reserve and are a characteristic feature of a freely flowing, dynamic river ecosystem.")
© BAW/Cosma zoom gallery -
-IGF-Cosma.JPEG/jcr:content/IMG_8701%20(c)%20IGF%20Cosma.JPEG "The image shows a near-natural section of the Pielach River within the Pielach-Mühlau Nature Reserve in Lower Austria. The meandering river stretch between Prinzersdorf and Wimpassing is characterized by its diverse river morphology, including cut banks, slip-off slopes, gravel bars, and a rich riparian vegetation. These dynamic river habitats provide important breeding, feeding, and refuge areas for a wide range of plant and animal species. This area was part of the LIFE Nature Project \"Danube Salmon (Huchen) Habitat\", which aimed to restore ecological connectivity by modifying existing weirs and riverbed sills. These measures re-established free fish migration and improved habitat conditions for the endangered Danube salmon (Hucho hucho) and many other native fish species. The Mühlau area is also an ecologically valuable and highly sensitive bird breeding habitat. The natural river dynamics, together with its gravel banks, eroding banks, and structurally diverse riparian zones, create ideal conditions for numerous specialized bird species and contribute significantly to the exceptional biodiversity of this river landscape.")
© BAW/Cosma zoom gallery
Where can fish thrive and survive in rivers as the water warms increasingly due to climate change? Researchers from the Federal Agency for Water Management, BAW Research and BOKU are jointly investigating this and similar questions. To mark the start of the project, an initial site survey of the Pielach in Lower Austria took place in July (21 July 2026) to select representative stretches and locations where fish surveys are to be carried out and temperature loggers are going to be deployed.
New to the team is Jacqueline Jerney, who brings experience in genetic monitoring (eDNA) from Finland and is responsible for the operational scientific management of the project.
The project’s findings are intended to help develop cost-effective and efficient monitoring methods to accurately track climate-related changes in fish populations. They will thus provide an important basis for the future management of watercourses, which can contribute to the conservation of protected fish species such as the Danube salmon (Hucho hucho).