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Excavators are scheduled to roll on the Nüst near Hünfeld from 2026. A million-dollar project brings together flood protection and nature conservation. Funding secures financing.
Hünfeld – Construction work on the Nüst between the Hünfeld districts of Nüst and Mackenzell is scheduled to begin in 2026. Mayor Benjamin Tschesnok (CDU) announced this during an information event on the state program “100 wild streams for Hesse” in the Nüst community center.
A total of around 1.6 million euros will be invested in the project within the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive, the Konrad-Zuse city announced. A nice side effect of this nature conservation project from the mayor's point of view: the project could be financed 100 percent from funding.
Renaturation of the Nüst: major project for flood protection
This financing is possible because the Nüst between its tributary to the Haune and the Nüsttal district of Morles was included in the “100 wild streams” program of the state of Hesse. The planned measures are intended to improve flood protection by reconnecting the floodplain to the water, which will lead to the creation of retention areas.
These retention areas are flooded during floods, which holds back the water, slows down the flow and relieves pressure on Nüst's location. Meanwhile, Mackenzell, a district of Hünfeld, is now said to be better protected from flooding: A wet meadow with a retention function was created on the Molzbach.
Maria Treusch from the Hessische Landgesellschaft, which is overseeing the project together with Stefan Albinger from the civil engineering department of the city of Hünfeld, reported that negotiations with the property owners have progressed to such an extent that the first section between the railway line below Nüst and the baroque bridge near Mackenzell can be implemented. She thanked the owners and the city for their support and openness.
In the last three years since the opening event in Nüst, complex planning has been pushed forward parallel to the land acquisition, as Stefan Albinger emphasized. He expects final approval to be received in May, meaning construction work can be put out to tender in the following months. “If nothing else comes up, the extensive earth movements will be able to start in the fall,” said Albinger.
After the renaturation, the course of the Nüst will be “a few 100 meters” longer because the stream bed will meander more. The deeply cut waterbed of the Nüst is being raised and widened in many areas. Drainage barriers such as weirs will be removed and bank reinforcements will be removed to make it easier for the stream to flow into the open landscape when water levels are higher.
In order to ensure water flow even at low water levels, low-water channels will be created in the new, flattened bed. Where the course is changed, oxbow lakes should be preserved in order to increase the ecological quality of the water. Several small floodplain forests are to be created along the Nüst, which will shade the water and create new habitats.
In the final discussion, Albinger explained that the measures above the town of Nüst will have a noticeable impact on the water levels within the town. The water levels will rise less in the area because the water will be held back in front of Nüst and will drain more slowly.
Another section envisages measures above the baroque bridge in Mackenzell, although planning is still in its early stages. According to Mayor Benjamin Tschesnok, the lower-lying parts of Mackenzell will also benefit from these measures.
