Brixentaler Ache

The graph shows the inflows coming from the south Kelchsauer Ache (blue light) and Windauer Ache (red light), the Brixentaler Ache (orange ) arises as Brixenbach ( purple) in Brixen im Thale and ends in Wörgl in the Inn. Yellow colored is the catchment area of ​​Brixentaler Ache.

The Brixentaler Ache is a right tributary of the Inn. It is located in Tyrol, Austria and flows through the districts of Kitzbühel and Kufstein. The Brixentaler Ache is the drainage area according to ( 330.3 km ² ), one of the largest tributaries of the Inn in the Tyrolean lowlands, but she is only 28 km long.

The river course

The Brixentaler Ache arises as Brixenbach in the municipality of Brixen im Thale and flows westward through the Brixental. Between Westendorf and Hopfgarten im Brixental, the valley floor narrows. Immediately after this the narrowness Windauer Ache coming from the south flows into the Brixenbach. From this confluence of Brixenbach is now called Brixentaler Ache. After about one kilometers and the even greater Kelchsauer Ache flows (also from the south) a. The 26 km long Kelchsauer Ache and drains the whole Kelchsau.

Between Hopfgarten and Kirchbichl or Wörgl the Ache subdues again a narrow valley before it performs a shallow Talausläufer of the Inn valley. When you leave the confines of the Ache is dammed by a large military and some of the water is directed into a channel. This leads to a small power plant TIWAG. Below the weir the Luecher stream from the north Söll ( Sölllandl ) Coming flows in to play. After she was fed by so much water from the major tributaries, the Ache now dominates the landscape of the broad and densely populated Brixenthal. After the now approximately 16 m wide Brixentaler Ache has passed through the border area between Wörgl and Kirchbichl, it flows from the south into the Inn.

The drainage area includes in particular by the biggest inflows Windauer and Kelchsauer Ache, a relatively large area, which covers about a third of the district of Kitzbühel.

The Ache in Itter gorge

The large, two-stage, a total of 10 m high steep ramparts of the Brixentaler Ache at the exit of the gorge at Itter, which has now been replaced by a new modern military.

The Brixen with the Brixentaler Ache (foreground) at the mouth into the Inn valley near Wörgl (background).

Flood

The Brixentaler Ache is very rare on the shore, the most frequent floods occur in the region of the mouth into the Inn Wörgler Söcking district and opposite in Angath on. In the flood of the century 2005, the exceptional amount of water leading Brixentaler Ache was dammed at its mouth by the flood leading Inn, flooded by large areas and caused immense damage.

Barriers

Even in earlier times there were numerous barriers, in particular through the village of Hopfgarten and Brixen Valley in the lower Bruckhäusl ( Kirchbichl and Wörgl ). Meanwhile, there are only a few untouched river kilometers, such as in the confines below Itter. Due to the flood in recent times were also taken at the Kelchsauer, Windauer and lower Brixentaler Ache precautions. At the mouth of the Brixentaler Ache in the Inn between Wörgl Angath and the Ache were built on both sides after the 2005 flood high embankments to prevent repeated premature trespassing the shore by the water masses.

Between 2009 and 2011 came at the end of Itterer gorge in the wake of one of the largest power plant construction sites in Tyrol A new hydropower plant TIWAG, which was built around 16.9 million euros instead of the old power plant. Here, a new inflatable weir were (by the way the future largest inflatable weir in Tyrol) built with three Entsandungskammern, a new penstock with a diameter of 2.4 m and a total length of 2181.6 m and a new power plant building. It is considered a flagship project of the association between ecology and economy, since the landscape opposite the old building will be significantly improved. The power plant capacity was more than doubled by the new building to 15.8 million kilowatt hours. This can be supplied at least 4,000 households.

The Ache in the flood of 2005. Retention areas here have paid off, otherwise they would come here on the shore.

The Brixentaler Ache in Bruckhäusl at high water level in summer 2008.

The site of the new weir from the power plant Bruckhäusl at the output of Itterer gorge ( end October 2010).

The new pressure pipes (diameter: 2.4 m) from the new weir for developed power house ( late October 2010).

Water Quality

The Brixentaler Ache is used throughout the course on water quality class II.

Water levels online

The water levels following measuring points in the catchment area of ​​the Ache:

• Brixenbach in Brixen im Thale
• Windauer Ache in Unterwindau ( Westendorf )
• Kelchsauer Ache in Hörbrunn (municipality Hopfgarten im Brixental)
• Brixentaler Ache in Bruckhäusl (municipalities Kirchbichl and Wörgl )