The Pielach has its source on the Hennesteck (Lower Austrian Limestone Alps) and runs deep inside the dolomite rock at first. In its middle reaches the Pielach is a water largely regulated in a nature-near way traversing regions mostly used for intensive agriculture. As ecologically precious as its source, the lower course of the river presents itself with its undercut banks, slip-off slopes and gravel banks. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), for example, has registered 98 bird species, of which already 22 are threatened by extinction. Kingfishers, river plovers, or bank swallows – and 15 amphibian and reptile species – here they find suitable habitats and even the largest sweet water salmonid, the huchen or the Danube salmon, are still found in the Pielach.
But even this refuge for many endangered species seems to be threatened. Nature conservationists complain about repeated fills, more and more small structures, illegal discharges, lumbering of remaining lowland forests, or rather their transformation into monocultures, and insufficient water in the river. Enough reasons for a "mission" of the Naturfreunde of Lower Austria. Together with the EU-Life Project "Lebensraum Huchen" they started a "redemption action" about one year ago to fight the endangerment of particularly sensitive river sections (e.g. Rennersdorfer Au, Mühlau, Sophienhain and Ofenloch). Meanwhile about 4 hectares of valuable natural landscape could already be saved from harmful influences due to the generosity of many nature lovers – and the mission continues …
The EU Project "Lebensraum Huchen" offered two Austrian film makers at the same time the opportunity for a spectacular chance in the hard-fought sector of top-quality nature films. Dietmar Zeller is a former journalists of a Lower Austrian newspaper (NÖN) contributing his experience to the planning of the film project.
Both he and his partner, the cameraman Gerhard Rogenhofer, were immediately fascinated by the beauty of the natural jewel of the Pielach river. The best proof is the impressing outcome of their first major "mission": 104 shooting days, (among them underwater shots by Gerhard Pock) and 55 hours of film material were enough "stuff" for the documentation "The Pielach – Jewel of Rivers".
The unique nature documentation is available on video from the film production company Gerhard Rogenhofer for EUR 21,73. (Source: aqua press Int. 2/2001)
Mag. Christof Hahn
Donations for the Pielach:
RAIBA Pielachtal, bankcode no.32585, account number 502 997 payable to "Pielachpatenschaft".
Information & Contact:
Naturfreunde NÖ (Lower Austria)
Heßstraße 4, A–3100 St. Pölten
Tel. +43 27 42 35 72 11-0
Fax +43 27 42 37 52 11-9
