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11.09.2017

Zurich – The canton of Zurich will designate the watercourses in its urban areas at the beginning of next year. In an effort to protect the waters, it will establish shorelines with restrictions on construction and use.

40 municipalities will be affected by the designation of watercourses, including the cities of Zurich and Winterthur. The remaining cities and municipalities will follow in 2019 and 2020. Watercourses outside the urban areas and Lake Zurich will only be designated at a later time, according to a statement from the canton of Zurich.

The designation of watercourses is based on the federal Water Protection Act, revised in 2011, which defines measurement parameters and minimum widths to protect rivers, streams and lakes. As such, it is now necessary to designate a strip of land along a watercourse’s shore on which there are restrictions with respect to buildings and facilities, as well as gardens. 

According to the canton, the space requirements on construction measures that had applied until now will be replaced by the new watercourse definitions, but in three-quarters of the river waters, the protected strips of land will not be wider than those previously in force. 

The watercourses are meant to ensure the space needed for nature and landscape conservation measures. Recreational activities, the use of water (for example, for hydroelectric power) and protection from floods or water contamination are further advantages.