Franz Svoboda's Portfolio > Freeway over Nature, Vienna, Austria by Franz Svoboda

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"The heaviest traffic was recorded in Vienna regions, particularly on the A23 (south-east trunk
road) with an average traffic of 120 000 vehicles a day". But under this crazy motorway junction of A23 exists a rest of nature, in former times a member of the Danube river. While taking the gigapan I could hardly hear the camera blip, the traffic was very loud!

taken 2011-06-21 14:00 CEST

This water body "Oberes Mühlwasser" is a residual of the Danube river, formed by the stream regulation 1882 to 1890. (see this old map, try to compare it to today's map files.myopera.com/drosera/albums/9046612/HistorischeKarte_Donau_.jpg )
In Dec 1970 the highway "Autobahnknoten Kaisermühlen", part of "Südosttangente", was opened traversing this lot. The part "Knoten Prater" to "Knoten Kaisermühlen" is the most frequented street in Austria and one of the most frequented in Europe. The whole long-distance traffic from south/east to north is using this section. The last project , the underground line U2, was built in 2010 (see it in the gigapan on the left side).

The back water "Mühlwasser" sprawls about five kilometers. It is preserved originally and now opened to the public as a nature reserve. Its also an outstanding natural memorial of Vienna. Many birds, fishes and amphibians find their hatchery and spawning grounds there.
However running modifications are essential. Notably the proportion of reed to water expanse
have to keep in balance. It is Vienna's township intention to regulary trim the reed with a special mow-ship. That has to be done within a small time-slot due to brooding birds.

Sadly not seen in the Gigapan this is as well the habitat of fishes and water birds (2002):

(Sorry, i didn't find all the explanations in english, so there is only german and bot.):

Karpfen, carp - Cyprinus carpio
Hecht, pike - Esox lucius
Schleie, tench - Tinca tinca
Flusswels, catfish - Silurus glanis
Zander, Sander lucioperca
Brachse, bream - Abramis
Aal, eel - Anguilla anguilla
Flussbarsch, perch - Perca fluviatilis
Laube, bleak - Albumus albumus
Rotauge, roach - Rutilus rutilus
Rotfeder, rudd - Scardinius erythrophthalmus
Schied, asp - Aspius aspius

Zwergrohrdommel (Ixobrxchus minutus)
Höckerschwan (Cygnus olor)
Mandarinente (Aix galericauda)
Stockente (Anas platyrhynchos)
Teichhuhn (Gallinula chloropus)
Bläßhuhn (Fulica atra)