Completed

Órbigo River (Duero Basin, NW Spain) ecological status improvement. A bundle of sponge measures - levee removal/set-back, rip-rap removal, recovery of secondary channels, floodplain reconnection, natural bank stabilisation, and riparian buffer restoration - was implemented under the WFD and Floods Directive; the project was a 2013 IRF European Riverprize finalist.
Section I (upper ~23.5 km) was built in 2011–2013: ≈4.72 km of rip-rap and 8.71 km of levees were removed, 3.13 km set back, ~10 km of side channels reopened, and ~300 ha of floodplain reconnected; limited works followed in Sections II–III. The Alcoba weir was modified by cutting a central notch (~15–16 m) with seasonal removable boards and a ramp to restore fish passage and sediment/nutrient continuity, reconnecting ~25 km of river.

Post-project assessments report increased channel dynamism and sinuosity and riparian vegetation regeneration - moderate effectiveness in the short term, underscoring the need for long-term monitoring. Overall, actions improved lateral and longitudinal connectivity and enhanced natural flood attenuation; AdapteCCa summarises ~480 ha of floodplain now functioning with the river.

The Odelouca River: Natural bank stabilization and riparian buffer galleries as part of mitigation and compensatory measures and through the use of bio-engineering techniques.
This project carried out in the Odelouca River (sub-catchment of the Arade River Basin, Algarve Region, South of Portugal) entailed the implementation of measures focused on the use of bio-engineering or natural techniques for rehabilitation of riparian buffer zones and river banks (such as river banks resectioning and placement of geotextile; live crib walls and vegetated gabions/rock armour construction and placement; planting of rehabilitated banks with native plant species; construction of artificial islands in the river channel, and clearance of invasive riparian plant species).
Today it remains a relevant and effective implementation. However it needs restoration, but there is apparently no intention to restart the project to the original goals.

The measures implemented focus on the use of bio-engineering or natural techniques for rehabilitation of riparian buffer zones and river banks such as: i) resectioning of river banks and placement of geotextile to prevent erosion, retain soil moisture, prevent (re) growth of weeds and invasive plants and create favourable conditions for planted native plants (reed bed removal / placement of geotextile; 100% coco fibre with 2 polypropylene nets); ii) construction of a crib wall and placement of stone filled gabions to stabilise river banks (vegetated rock armour, live cribwalls (i.e Krainer wall), and vegetated gabions); iii) planting of rehabilitated banks with native plant species, collected from cuttings and seeds in the area and grown on in local nurseries (e.g. Tamarix, Oleander, buckthorn and ash); iv) construction of artificial islands in the river channel; v) clearance of invasive riparian plant species (Arundo donax and Acacia sp).