More protection in heavy rain: Flood overflow in the Kurpark completed
After intensive planning and several months of construction, work on the construction of the swallowing fountain in the spa gardens has been completed. The monumental natural stone cladding was installed on the ten-meter-long overflow sill in the spa park pond.
The surrounding green spaces are now being gradually restored. The area should be fully reintegrated into the park landscape by early summer.
The circular path around the Kurparkweiher is expected to be open to the public again from Thursday, May 29. Only planting work will be carried out in the former construction site area, but this will not restrict access.
"With the swallow well, an important building block for protection against heavy rain damage around the Kurhaus and for the adjacent inner city areas has been implemented. With this project, we are also making an important contribution to safety during heavy rainfall events," says Mayor and Head of the Environment Department Christiane Hinninger.
Despite weather-related delays during the construction phase, the new overflow sill was installed and put into operation as planned. It now allows excess water from the Rambach - which the Kurparkweiher cannot absorb - to be discharged into the historic Rambach canal below Wilhelmstraße in a controlled manner during heavy rainfall. Flooding damage such as in 1999 and 2014 should therefore be a thing of the past. Back then, heavy rain caused flooding in Sonnenberg, Rambach and around the Kurhaus Wiesbaden and the underground car park behind it. As a result, the city had already started to make the Rambach more flood-proof years ago with an initial flood protection extension in Sonnenberg. Embankment walls were raised, narrow sections removed or widened and new footbridges built. Other elements include a future flood retention basin in Rambach and the Schluckbrunnen flood overflow in the Kurparkweiher pond. The town received funding for this from the state's water development and flood protection program.
The work required intensive coordination between the Environmental Agency and many stakeholders from planning, monument protection, nature conservation and water authorities as well as TriWiCon's spa park management. The project also met with great interest from the public during the construction period. Numerous Wiesbaden residents came to find out more about the background and progress of the work during regular free guided tours and information boards on site.
How does the overflow work?
At the lower Kurparkweiher pond (in the south-western area of the pond), a relief structure is being built to drain off water without causing damage in the event of flooding. This will absorb larger quantities of water than the previous drain.
For this purpose, a 10 meter wide overflow sill will be installed and equipped with an underground channel that runs past the concert shell. In the event of flooding, water can also be directed into the Rambach Canal. From there, it flows into the historic Salzbach Canal and is discharged towards the Rhine without causing any damage.
Restrictions in the spa gardens
The construction work is expected to be completed by the end of April 2025 .
The Kurparkweiher will not be accessible all around during the construction period, but guests will be able to enter the Kurpark to the right of the Kurhaus and reach the concert shell and the rear entrance to the Kurhaus. The area to the right of the Kurparkweiher between the concert shell and the toilet facilities will be closed in one section for construction vehicles and materials. The side entrance from Sonnenberg Straße, the park entrance from Parkstraße and Josef-von-Lauff-Straße will remain open.
Flood protection in Wiesbaden
The complexity of the issue of flood protection makes an intensive and lengthy planning and preparation phase essential. The protection against flooding caused by heavy rainfall in the Kurpark is one of numerous measures with which the state capital is preparing for the increasing challenges of climate change - this is how Mayor and Head of the Environment Department Christiane Hinninger explains the construction measures. Wiesbaden's streams carry a lot of water very quickly during heavy rainfall, which increases the risk of flooding.
As past experience has shown, the Rambach, which flows out of a narrow valley, is particularly at risk. To ensure flood protection, a flood retention basin "Im langen Garten" in Rambach and flow-directing measures on the Goldsteinbach are being planned in parallel to the construction of the flood overflow in the Kurpark.
Who is responsible for the project?
The construction project was approved by the city council and the city parliament of the state capital.
The client is the Wiesbaden City Council. Project management is the responsibility of the Environmental Agency in cooperation with the spa park management of TriWiCon, a company owned by the state capital of Wiesbaden.
