Installations on bodies of water
According to Section 22 of the State Water Act, the construction or significant modification of facilities in or near bodies of water requires a permit. The term "facilities" is defined very broadly and is based on Section 2 (1) of the NRW building regulations:
Structural installations are installations made of construction products that are connected to the ground. A connection to the ground also exists if the installation rests on the ground due to its own weight or has limited movement on fixed tracks or if the installation is intended to be used predominantly in a fixed position according to its intended use.
This includes not only larger buildings such as
- Bridges
- Dams (weirs)
- Bottom falls
- culvert
- Discharge and extraction structures
- Supply and disposal lines (crossing or accompanying watercourses)
but also smaller facilities, such as
- Steps on the shore
- Bank walls, bank reinforcements, bank walls
- Footbridges over a body of water
- Dams
- Enclosures (e.g. fences)
- Culverts
- Drainage systems
- Cattle troughs
- Gas and water pipes
As the plants often have a disruptive effect on water bodies and the landscape, an application for approval must be submitted to the Lower Water Authority of the City of Aachen. As a rule, in outdoor areas, planning is coordinated with the lower nature conservation authority.
If installations are erected without authorization and there is no absolute urgency to maintain the installation, the lower water authority will ask you to remove the installations, as these installations are an obstacle to the near-natural development of the waters.
Responsible authorities: