Report on the State of Implementation by End 2013
Human interference with the river bed and the alluvial areas (construction of impoundments and dikes) has sustainably changed the sediment budget of the Rhine. During the past decennia, not only quantitative aspects of sediment budget have changed, but pollutants have also accumulated on sediments (a peak in sediment contamination was reached in the beginning of the 70s of the 20th century). Former very high direct pollutant inputs into waters and diffuse pollutant discharges from the watershed continue their negative impact on sediment quality.
All in all, more than 93 locations along the Rhine and in sections near the outlets of Rhine tributaries (e.g. rivers Neckar, Main, Ruhr) were inventoried when drafting the <link file:457 _blank download den einer>Sediment Management Plan (SMP). They also comprise German-Swiss border areas on the High Rhine. 18 of the analysed<link file:3028 _blank download den einer> sedimentation areas have been classified as „areas of concern“, 22 as areas presenting a risk.
The ICPR technical report no. 212 describes the state of implementation of the Sediment Management Plan for Switzerland, Germany, France and the Netherlands. Annex IV to the report includes more detailed information on the implementation of the Sediment Management Plan. A comprehensive description of all locations analysed within the framework of the Sediment Management Plan is given in the <link file:3028 _blank download den einer>ICPR report no. 175. The <link http: geoportal.bafg.de iksr iksr_sed_plan.en.html _blank external-link-new-window eine andere website in einem neuen>interactive map gives an overview over the present state of implementation of the SMP.