Mur (river)

The Mur (Slovenian, Croatian and Hungarian Mura ) is a river that flows through Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary and in parts of its course forms the boundary between the four states.

Course

The Mur rises southeast of the Murtörls ( 2260 m) in the so-called Schmalzgrube at an altitude of 1898m. A. in the Lower Tauern ( on the border of the Hohe Tauern ) in Salzburg's Lungau region, continues to flow as the main flow through Styria and its capital Graz. In Southern Styria, it forms the border with Slovenia. It leads after 453 km at Legrad at the Croatian -Hungarian border in the Drava. Shortly before this opens the Principáliskanal into it that connects the Zala with the Mur.

Nature and Environment

Even at its headwaters in Austria was the Mur until the late 1980s, especially in waste waters of the settled along its banks and tributaries paper industry in Pöls, Niklas village and Gratkorn as well as heavy industry ( voestalpine Donawitz ) to the most polluted rivers in Austria.

Today the Mur is largely rehabilitated in their slow-moving Styrian region south of Graz and has a satisfactory water quality, such as the return of some sensitive fish species (eg grayling ) proves.

The compartment of the Murkraftwerkes Gralla also numerous water birds have settled. When there erected observation station can be all kinds of ducks, swans and herons observed ( as egrets and herons ). With any luck, you get to see even a kingfisher. About the damming of the river due to the hydropower plants and the raising of the water table could at least partially in the non-conducting intensive agriculture (mostly maize ) used land again landscapes arise that are at least similar to the floodplain before the regulation.

Bordering the river are where no agricultural use of adjacent land done, wetlands or riparian forest exists. The typical plant species, such as marsh marigolds, are found on the adjacent meadows and wooded land next to the Mur (eg at the level of river power plant Gabersdorf ).

2001, the Mur was chosen by the Styrian Provincial Government to the river of the year.

Use

Power generation

The river is used in Styria by numerous hydroelectric power plants, as in Leoben, Pernegg an der Mur, Frohnleiten - Laufnitzdorf, Frohnleiten - Rabenstein, Gralla, Obervogau, Gabersdorf or playing field for power generation. The list also includes four projects in the metropolitan area of Graz in planning or under construction: Stübing, Gratkorn, Gössendorf and Kalsdorf and another project in Sankt Michael in Upper Styria, to take advantage of the share of renewable energy as possible.

One in June 2010, created as part of the environmental impact assessment process report certifies that the project for the barrage Gratkorn negative impact on the fish population. It is remarkable, that the opinions of the river ecologists Clemens Gumpinger not by opponents of the project, but by the Verbund AG, the project applicant was even commissioned.

Upon completion, is to be reckoned with extensive disappearance of 21 species of fish. Besides the Danube salmon are already on the red list of endangered species grayling and Strömer would be most affected. The proposed fish ladders could be overcome by the fish though, they However, it would only get to the next storage area. Many fish species in the river Mur need for procreation but flowing water.

The WWF and other conservation bodies distanced themselves from the seamless expansion of hydropower in the Mur River and calling instead for exploiting the existing potential savings in space heating, water heating, lighting and transport, as well as the development of other renewable energy sources such as wind, biomass and solar energy.

Ship mills on the river Mur

In the Mur are still three of the rare now ship mills, floating on the water and towards the shore moored barges, which are connected as a double hull by a bar with each other and between which a water of the river flow is driven undershot.

The first of the three ship mills on the river Mur is located in Mureck, between field and Bad Radkersburg on the Slovenian border. They went in the winter 2005/2006 due to decreased and, inter alia, the 2012 flood. After the departure of the original version with total loss is the present day an authentic replica and is an attraction for visitors. In order to obtain a club cares.

The second mill is found downstream in Slovenia near Veržej, north of Ljutomer. As " Babič - mlin " known, it is a mill preserved in its original, whose water wheel floating on the water with gear, while the mill house stands on the riverside. The power transmission towards the land is via a cable drive. The mill is operated privately owned and is a popular destination for tourists from the area.

The third ship mill is an authentic replica of a type as he was often to be found on the Mur. It is located slightly upstream of Mursko Središće in the triangle of Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary in the Croatian shore. As in Mureck borne by the land-side pontoon the mill house during the current side float the abutment of the mill wheel houses. There is yet another ship mill on the Mura river, but a wreck on dry land on the grounds of the spa in Lendava, Slovenia.

Radwanderweg

By Salzburg and Styria runs along the Mur a 365 km long trail, which Murradweg.

Others

In Croatia, the area between the Mura and Drava as " Zwischenmurland " (Croatian Međimurje ) or in German is also referred to as " Mur ". The Međimurje is today one of the 20 counties of Croatia with capital Čakovec. The Mur is also the border between two historic Slovenian countries: Lower Styria ( Lower Styria ) and Prekmurje, which is called " Mura " in German. Today, the Prekmurje and the Styrian Prlekija form the Slovenian Pomurska ( " Pomurje " or " Murland " ) with its capital Murska Sobota.