Advancing freshwater restoration

My Projects

The Liberty Island Life project

• Key project facts
  The Liberty Island Life project revitalised a 3 km long side arm and brought back the natural floodplain forest of Liberty Island on the Danube River. The project also contributes to securing drinking water for the citizens of Pécs and Mohács and enhances opportunities for eco-friendly tourism and recreation in the area.
  
  WWF and its partners decided to revitalise the side arm and create a good quality semi-natural softwood forest on Liberty Island. Both are important alluvial habitats for many fish and birds.
  
  The key element of the revitalisation was the opening of the rock fill dam and the dredging of the silted up side arm. Before opening of the dam, the water pipes located inside had to be relocated under the riverbed. During the 5-year restoration process WWF planted native, alluvial softwood forest which is typical of floodplain areas. The non-native tree plantations and colonising invasive plants were removed.
• What impact did these projects have?
  After the restoration, the water flowing around the island is always at least two meters deep. There is a continuous connection with the main branch of the Danube River. The slower waterflow attracts spawning fish. Some of the shallow water spots remained in the side-arm, providing habitat diversity, so as feeding habitat for birds.
• What work challenges did you face and what approach did you take to solve them?
  One of the key challenge in the Liberty Island restoration project was motivating and coordinating a diverse group of stakeholders, including public authorities, NGOs, and private companies. This was overcome by identifying shared goals—such as improving water quality, restoring flow in the side branch, and enhancing habitat conditions—which created strong cooperation. Another major challenge was the removal and relocation of large volumes of sediment without affecting Danube navigation. This was solved through careful planning and reloading the sediment back into the main channel where it supported riverbed stability.
• What lessons learned are transferable to other places/projects?
  
  • Reconnecting side branches improves ecosystem function:
  • Restoring lateral connectivity enhances flow, sediment transport, and habitat quality in large rivers.
  • Multi-stakeholder cooperation is essential: Successful restoration depends on aligning the goals of public agencies, NGOs, and private partners.
  • Sediment management can support both ecology and river engineering: Relocating sediment to the main channel can aid ecological restoration while mitigating riverbed incision.
  • Restoration enhances ecosystem services: Beyond ecological gains, restored areas provide recreational, educational, and water quality benefits for local communities.
  • Natural processes matter: High-flow events are critical for flushing sediments and sustaining long-term restoration outcomes—highlighting the importance of integrating hydrological dynamics into planning.