An unauthorised dam is being built right now, on the Ötztaler Ache river, under cover of Corona virus curfews. Developers started building the Tumpen-Habichen power plant without all the legal permissions or answering important legal questions!
The Ötztaler Wasserkraft GmbH are planning a diversion hydro power plant in the Ötz Valley. From above Achstürze Falls the river’s natural flow will be diverted through pipes. This power plant would be the first in an otherwise free-flowing Ache river. With Achstürze Falls running dry, this steep and ecologically unique section of waterfalls would be lost. This would also seriously affect the river section below, the ‘Wellerbrücke’ rapids the world famous run of the Sickline Extreme Kayaking World Championships. The upper section of the Wellerbrücke would run dry, and the lower section would no longer follow a natural flow regime – instead the levels would rise and fall according to how much energy the electricity company chooses to sell. The residents living near the planned reservoir in Tumpen are rightly concerned of the increased flood risk for Tumpen and Habichen.
In the petition below we call on the state of Tyrol to stop the construction work with immediate effect in order to guarantee a legally correct and fair trial. Furthermore, we call on the state of Tyrol to prevent the power plant once and for all in order to preserve the unique stretch of water as a natural and recreational area, as well as for the protection of the local residents!
This initiative of WET – Wildwasser Erhalten Tirol is supported by the Free Rivers Fund, WWF Austria and the „Citizens‘ Initiative against Hydropower Plant Tumpen„. And we also need your support urgently, let’s save the Ötztaler Ache together: sign, share, pass it on!
www.change.org/tumpen-habichen
3 Antworten
Florian Stein
we call on the state of Tyrol to stop the construction work with immediate effect in order to guarantee a legally correct and fair trial. Furthermore, we call on the state of Tyrol to prevent the power plant once and for all in order to preserve the unique stretch of water as a natural and recreational area, as well as for the protection of the local residents!
Niels Jensen
Viel glueck
Vikki Salas
Do not proceed, rivers need to flow naturally to prevent many issues for people and the environment later down the line. There are other, less damaging forms of generating power!