Continuing dispute over Kressbronner Uferweg: no agreement is reached!

Continuing dispute over Kressbronner Uferweg: no agreement is reached!

In Kressbronn on Lake Constance, a riverside path for everyone has been planned for over 20 years and is now once again the focus of public interest. The Sigmaringen Administrative Court has been arguing about the implementation of this bank renaturation for some time. Lake Constance itself extends over 63 kilometers in length and 14 kilometers in width, with a maximum depth of 251 meters and has a shoreline of a total of 273 kilometers, of which 155 kilometers belong to Baden-Württemberg. Historically, access to Lake Constance was restricted for a long time and many sections of the shore were in private hands. The first considerations for opening the bank were made as early as 1975, but the actual construction work for the Seeuferweg in Konstanz did not begin until 1983, when the city realized the bank access from the city center to the Hörnle.

In Kressbronn, however, the dispute over the riverside path, which has been decided since 2001, has now become a long-running issue. Residents are vehemently resisting the implementation of the plans, which envisage intensive renaturation of the bank. These plans include, among other things, an embankment with mineral soil and gravel up to 30 meters into the water. The responsible authority representative speaks of “minor adjustments” in order to finally reach an agreement with the residents. Despite these efforts, the residents' lawsuits in court failed because the judicial authorities considered the plan necessary to enable proximity to nature and better accessibility to Lake Constance. However, a written justification for the judgment is still pending, which only increases the uncertainty among those involved. South Courier reports that the condition of the shores of Lake Constance is considered problematic in 2023: 41 percent of the shoreline is close to nature, while 39 percent is distant from nature or even alien to nature.

Ecological aspects of bank restoration

Renaturation is important in many ways. The ecological shore and shallow water areas of Lake Constance are sensitive zones that are home to extraordinary flora and fauna. These areas serve as spawning, breeding and feeding grounds for numerous species. They are also important for the self-cleaning powers of water. The head of the Lake Research Institute, Martin Wessels, made it clear that the existing structures on the shore hinder the exchange between lake and land areas, which also makes it difficult to reintroduce local aquatic plants and microorganisms.

Part of the bank strip has not yet been able to be worked on because there are eight private properties there, some of which have concrete walls. These circumstances have led to a further escalation of the dispute, and the Tübingen regional council has even applied for temporary expropriation in order to carry out the planned work. A review of developments shows that, despite isolated progress, the comprehensive implementation of the renaturation plans in Kressbronn is still a long time coming. There is already a lot of discussion about the legal disputes in the region, and in many places there is an expectation that the administrative court will make a decision in the next few days. SWR vividly documents the problem and the associated emotions among the residents.

Overall, the path to opening and greening the shores of Lake Constance in Kressbronn remains an intense topic that heats up people's minds and at the same time could improve the natural conditions and accessibility of the water for all future generations. The coming days will show whether and how the conditions at this sought-after location on Lake Constance will continue to develop.

For further information about the ecological aspects of bank renaturation, you can also read the results of a study on the bank structure in Lake Constance: LUBW.