Saxony wants to improve the quality of flowing waters. "We have invested massively in the quality of our rivers and streams over the past five years. But too many bodies of water are still in a questionable condition. We have to change that," Environment Minister Wolfram Günther (Greens) told the German Press Agency and announced a "100 living streams for Saxony" program. It is intended to set clear goals for specific bodies of water and include model projects.
"We have renaturalized rivers up and down the country over the last five years. We have restored vibrant river landscapes between the Spree and Pleiße. We have reconnected old river branches. We have dismantled weirs and sills in many bodies of water so that aquatic life can once again use the entire watercourse," the Minister listed.
Above all, a lot of space has been reclaimed for natural flood protection - 1,781 hectares. This corresponds to around 2,500 soccer pitches. After the major floods in Saxony, this is an extremely important pillar alongside technical flood protection.
