Biology - Alteration and Flooding of former mining areas


 
4. 
Flooding of the former mining area
06.07.1998-1st test flooding

A paradise of 25 km2 shall come into being water with the help of the River Mulde. All people of the region hope for a blooming landscape of water with hotels and beach bars. The nine former mining areas must be flooded to make that dream come true. If you left the Goitzsche up to the ground-water level, the same result would be achieved not until 60 to 80 years. Not only economic pressure but also relevant obligation to environment play a role in the flooding plan. To the opinions of the supporters the flooding makes a contribution to control the concentration of chemical poison in the underground of Bitterfeld with the help of the sewage plant erected in Greppin 10000 m3 water are additionally cleaned dialy. But it costs 10million DM every year. If the mine were left up to its own devices, the poisons would spread out in an uncontrolled way. Another problem,calmed down by Eckhart Mildmann (deputy of the mining society LMBV), is to be found in the water taking of the River Mulde which is .He says, "Nobody would notic the water is beeing downstream. The Mulde would hardly be effected by an average water taking of 3 m3 per seconds taken from the river, which can carry up to 2000 m3 per second high water. Though the amount of water can fall up to 10 m3 in a period of drought. The water would be controlled according to that."

07.05.1999-start of the flooding of the Goitzsche

The water of the River Mulde shall flow into former mining areas of Mühlbeck, Niemegk, Bärendorf and Döbern.The maximum of water level was fixed to 71.7 m. The water of the River Mulde flows at a speed of 3 m/s into the future Goitzsche lake so becoming the biggest one of the country.
 
The head of the LMBV Dr.Landes said, "All the best to the mine,water forward go!"
Sosomething very special was realized for him and he continued.
"I saw Bitterfeld in its darkest times and I have never cursed it.What I have experienced and what can take part in at the moment,that creates an overwhelming feeling in me.The wounds of the once so violated earth will finally cure.A carefully formed landscape changed by the people and the nature and new habitats will come into being."

This long-lasting effective process was a contribution to the corresponding region for the world exhibition EXPO 2000.After short difficulties in June 1999, because of the washing outs in the overflow area between the Mühlbeck and Niemegk part of the Goitzsche the flooding was stopped for a while.
A further problem was the quality of water of the lake being created. By the mixture of the water of the River Mulde with the ground water of the Goitzsche the quality has been improved gradually. Meanwhile there are even fishes and insect larve in the Mühlbeck opencast mine.This shows that the water surface is already almost neutral.

In June 1999 the overflow into the Niemegk opencast mine occurred.

In December 1999 the water-level of the two former mining areas Niemegk and Mühlbeck was the same level, it was almost at 58 m. Now the water increase of the two former mining areas is constant.

In January 2000 the floods stopped into the direction of the former mining area"Bärenhof"and"Döbern".

Until 2002 the water level of 71.1m shall be reached and in further years a protection of nature-and recreation area shall develop out of the former ruined mining area into a partly environmentally protected and recreation area. 

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Contents
1. Geographical position of opencast mining areas
2. Historical development of former opencast mining areas and their remains
3. Planning and alteration of the Goitzsche
4. Flooding of the former mining area
5. Realisation and remodelling of the open-cast mine area to the cultural landscape Goitzsche
6. Survey of inland waters quality

  
Übersicht Projekte