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).

The case study lies in the draining basin of the Venice Lagoon, an intensively farmed area crossed by a dense network of drainage channels. Here, measures were implemented on channels discharging to the Dese River, a major tributary of the Lagoon. The Veneto Region financed riverbed recalibration and ecological restoration under the “Plan for diffuse pollution prevention and restoration of water in the draining basins of the Venice Lagoon”; Consorzio Acque Risorgive delivered the works around 2008–2009.
The project re-structured the mid-course effluents of the Dese - Rio San Martino, Rio Sant’Ambrogio and Scolo Desolino - whose primary function is to drain agricultural fields. Objectives were to retain nitrogen and phosphorus through phytodepuration and to mitigate frequent floods aggravated by urban sprawl, soil sealing and culverts (notably highlighted by the 2006–2007 Mestre events). Measures included riparian buffer strips, in- and out-of-channel wetlands, channel widening/meandering, and floodplain reconnection.
Subsequent technical documentation shows the programme extended beyond these three reaches to other local drains (e.g., Piovega di Scandolara, Piovega di Cappella, Piovega di Levada, Piovega dei Tre Comuni). Overall cost was about €4.13 million. Hydrological modelling and design analyses indicate peak flows delivered to the Dese fell from ~29 to ~25 m³/s (≈14% reduction), with tributary-scale decreases (e.g., Rio S. Martino 10.3→8.0 m³/s; Scolo Desolino 7.0→5.5 m³/s; Rio Sant’Ambrogio 11.5→10.5 m³/s).
Evidence from the implementer adds scale and design detail: about 14 km of channels were tackled in the Dese sub-basin; ~5.3 km of woody buffer strips were established across these reaches, and an out-of-channel wetland with a “double flow path” was created at Rio San Martino. On the Rio San Martino & Piovega di Scandolara sub-site specifically, ~1.6 km of new riparian woodland was planted.
Monitoring remains limited in the public domain: ARPAV was expected to monitor but little was published; the consortium ran some site-specific monitoring and used results from its NICOLAS experimental site for nutrient-removal parameters. Nonetheless, the combination of buffers, wetlands and planform restoration is credited by local sources with significant nutrient retention and visible flood-risk mitigation, supporting positive public perception.
Status on external registries is “complete”, and consortium material documents continued maintenance and allied works within the jurisdiction into the late 2010s. The case demonstrates multi-benefit restoration at drainage-network scale in a low-slope agricultural plain, aligning water-quality and flood-risk objectives under the Venice Lagoon Plan.