Plans by the Water Management Office raise concerns about the popular hiking trail on the Loisach

Created: 12/31/2022, 5:00 p.m

By: Christiane Mühlbauer

It doesn't matter whether it's winter or summer: the area on the Loisach is always very popular with walkers and cyclists.

But there are also protection zones for endangered bird species.

Holz: "Humans also belong to nature" ZUK does not want to open a dead end on Klosterland Farmers are concerned about the depth of the river WWA promises to involve everyone involved © Arndt Pröhl

In the water management office, plans for a better condition of the Loisach are currently in full swing.

Alarm bells are ringing in communities.

Kochel am See/Benediktbeuern/Bichl

- An assessment of the Loisach has shown that the section from the Kochelsee to the mouth of the Isar (just after Wolfratshausen) is only in a moderate ecological state.

What is meant by this is the lack of habitat suitability for the fish fauna.

Therefore, some things on the river should now be improved.

The basis for this is the European Water Framework Directive.

Kochel, Benediktbeuern and Bichl affected by plans

The Water Management Office (WWA) in Weilheim has been working on a water body development and implementation concept for a long time, both of which are now publicly available and are being presented to the municipalities.

In the Tölzer Land, the communities of Kochel, Benediktbeuern and Bichl are affected.

However, they and the Center for Environment and Culture (ZUK) and the farmers have serious concerns about some points.

The measures planned by the WWA are diverse.

For example, deadwood should be brought in at various points so that fish have a shelter.

Elsewhere, the focus is on dismantling bank structures.

However, land acquisition is planned along the entire section in order to relocate the path that runs alongside the water, so that the river can develop "inherently dynamically".

The last two points are now ringing alarm bells for residents.

"It is to be feared that the very popular and frequented Loisach circular route will have to be dismantled and perhaps even abandoned as a result of the dismantling and flattening of the banks," said Kochel's Mayor Thomas Holz when presenting the plans to the municipal council.

Kochel won't allow that: "We won't let anyone talk to us about the hiking trail," he said bluntly.

"It's such a popular route.

And man also belongs to nature.” Edi Pfleger criticized the high number of cormorants.

"They belong.

They are the biggest fish pests on the Kochelsee and in the Loisach.”

Concern: soon private property will also be affected

On the Loisach, says Bichl's Mayor Benedikt Pössenbacher, many areas "already belong to the Free State anyway".

Therefore, the widening of the river can also be implemented.

"If that happens, private property will soon be affected as well," he says, adding: "The whole project is simply not well thought out.

It's not just about nature conservation." In Bichl, the municipal councils are currently working through the planning, and a statement will be made shortly.

This has already happened in Benediktbeuern and in the Center for Environment and Culture.

"Basically, solving a problem is very complex, because every measure creates new disruptions and problems," says Father Karl Geißinger from the ZUK.

The WWA wants river dynamics, the municipality wants the path to be secured, the ZUK and representatives of nature conservation want to avoid additional disturbances in the surrounding valuable litter meadows and meadow breeding areas.

ZUK boss fears disruption in the meadow breeding area

In general, says the priest, the Loisach needs an upgrade.

But you have to carefully balance all the measures, because the pressure on nature to recover is great.

"People are supposed to go to the moor too, but on controlled paths," says the priest.

A problem on Benediktbeurer Flur is in the area of ​​the old Loisachschleife.

The area belongs like a "nose" to the district of Weilheim-Schongau, so that the local district office also has to be included in the plans - that doesn't make things any easier.

A new path is to be created in the old Loisachlauf.

But this would lead through the meadow breeding area.

And something else: "A new path harbors the great danger of closing a ring to the closed agricultural cul-de-sac from the monastery, which is only about 50 meters away," says the priest.

"In the event of a ring closure, a new

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Geißinger would prefer it if the current route were to be left and the use at one's own risk pointed out - as has been the case for a number of years on signs.

"It'll be sorted out, people know about the situation." The current route between the mouth of the Kochelsee and the Loisach Bridge (B472) is so popular anyway, because you can't just relocate it.

And don't block it at all, says the Father.

However, Mayor Toni Ortlieb is not enthusiastic about leaving a "path at your own risk" because you are not allowed to carry out any care and maintenance measures there.

However, guided paths are needed for walkers and cyclists, “because otherwise people would run across country through the meadow nesting areas”.

For Benediktbeuern, too, the WWA plans are a "massive intervention in tourism and local recreation".

If these were implemented in this way, says Ortlieb, "we no longer need to talk about visitor guidance in the moor".

Measures taken at Loisach: Farmers in a mood of alarm

Farmers are also in a mood of alarm.

"For us it is important that the receiving waters can drain properly," says Franz Sindlhauser, Chairman of the Benediktbeuern Water and Soil Association.

The Loisach must also maintain its depth, ideally even deepened.

"We've already noticed that the river is becoming more and more plentiful."

Our newspaper's inquiry was answered by Korbinian Zanker, head of the WWA.

The two concepts are not detailed plans, but "situate and specify only the basic measures," says Zanker.

The comments submitted would be viewed, evaluated and checked to see whether changes to the WWA concepts were necessary.

Because this is currently underway, no final result can be announced yet.

That says the water management office to the fears

He had already heard that the footpaths and cycle paths were to be preserved.

"We are striving to implement the measures for relocating the paths in such a way that on the one hand the ecological condition of the Loisach is improved and on the other hand the existing network of paths is sufficiently preserved." To this end, all those affected are involved in the pending specification of the measures.

And as far as farmers' concerns are concerned, Zanker says: "As things stand today, the outflow of the Loisach will not change as a result of the concepts.

Thus, the identified flood areas and hazardous areas remain unchanged.” There will be no change in the extent of flooding.

"However, such changes can also result from other aspects, such as climate-related changes." A further deepening of the Loisach is not intended by the water management side, as this not only has a negative impact on natural retention areas, but also an increased risk of flooding would result for the subordinates.

You can find more current news from the region around Bad Tölz at Merkur.de/Bad Tölz.