Geometric variability assessment of riverbanks and river widths to quantify human influence on Austrian rivers

April 1, 2026Open Access

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Key Points

This research aims to develop a method for assessing human impact on rivers by analyzing geometric variability.
Developed a methodology based on digital terrain models to assess riverbank and width variability.
Calculated an index for bank variability and standard deviation of normalized river widths using cross-sectional profiles.
Applied the approach to the Lech, Traun, and Leitha rivers to evaluate variability and human influences.
River sections with significant human modifications exhibited lower bank and width variability.
Natural river sections displayed higher variability, supporting the hypothesis of human influence.
Quantitative analysis along the Tiroler Lech confirmed reduced variability in structurally modified river areas.

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Methodology quantifies human influence on river systems in Austria, indicating potential renaturation sites.

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Carolina Damm (2026) studied this question.

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