- Parking spaces available
- free of charge / accessible at any time
Möhneauen
Nature reserve/natural monument | Naturerlebnispfad
Meadows, pastures and forests that are influenced by the changing water levels of streams and rivers are known as Auenland. This surrounding land is in constant exchange with the water. On some days of the year, plants and animals are literally up to their necks in water. Many endangered species are adapted precisely to these conditions and find their ecological niche here.
Address
Möhneauen
Kanzelbrücke
59519 Möhnesee
Telephone: +49 2921 30 0
Properties:
Intact, near-natural floodplains have a variety of functions:
They are a habitat for plants and animals, a leisure and recreation area for people, a supplier of drinking water and they form natural flood retention areas. The value of this landscape for people also lies in its diversity.
Water habitat
Low mountain streams such as the Möhne with its gravelly substrate are typical habitats for brown trout, bullhead, brook lamprey and minnow. Environmental factors such as the speed of the current influence this habitat. When the current is fast, the oxygen content is higher, the temperature is lower and the sediment is redistributed. In areas with less current, e.g. behind a tree that has fallen into the water, fine sediment can accumulate. This structural richness is a basis for the diversity of species in the water.
Forest habitat
Riparian forests are adapted to the constant fluctuations in water levels. In mountainous and hilly areas, they usually consist of ash, black alder and willow. Along rivers at lower altitudes, they usually consist of softwood species such as silver willow, which can withstand prolonged flooding. In both cases, the roots of the riparian trees stabilize the water's edge and allow other plants to colonize. Their leaves provide food for decomposing organisms in the water - the start of food chains.
Meadow habitat
Meadows are among the most species-rich biotopes in the Möhnetal. They are an essential part of our cultural landscape and were created through human use. Extensive management is necessary to preserve the colorful diversity, otherwise the areas would become overgrown and eventually turn into forests. The large occurrence of meadow knotweed, which is absent from intensively farmed areas, is impressive. The flowers of feverfew, narrow-leaved cottongrass and peat mosses characterize special locations. At some transitions to the adjoining Arnsberg Forest, damp mat-grass meadows with wood lousewort and ragwort have been preserved.
LIFE + Möhneauen floodplain
A chance for the Möhne
From 2010 to 2016, the district of Soest worked together with its project partners to make the Möhne river worth living and experiencing again.
Directions
Parking available at the Wamel Bridge parking lot or the Völlinghausen Wildlife Park parking lot