Hermannsburg, Nature Park Südheide: In a small stream bright

The Weesener Bach

From its source area near Lutterloh to its confluence with the Örtze near Hermannsburg, the Weesener Bach covers 11 km. In 1999 the brook lowland was designated a nature reserve. The main reasons for this were near-natural stretches of water, alder-, willow- and reed beds accompanying the brook, as well as remnants of forest and swamp forest.

Originally, the Weesener Bach had its source in a moor area south of Lutterloh. To drain the surrounding fields, the stream was extended by a ditch. The moor was transformed into a pond area. Since the nature conservation authority of the district of Celle has been in charge of the area, the ponds no longer have any harmful effects on the brook.

The entire brook plain with a size of 348 hectars was placed under nature protection in 1999. As a result of the unspoilt condition of the water, a high biodiversity was preserved in and along the river.

The following fish species can be found here.

With some luck the kingfisher is to be observed and in some winters also the water-blackbird can be found at the Weesener brook searching for food, likewise a type, that lives primarily in the low mountain ranges.

Problems of water maintenance

In the past, the Weesener Bach was straightened and deepened in places. As part of the maintenance work, it was also regularly cleared by machine in the 1970s. Expansion and clearance led to the loss of the most important habitat in the stream, the gravel bed. The result was a very strong sand drive, which clogged the last gravel banks.

Even the use of large sand traps could not prevent this. In the sanded subsoil, invertebrates such as the larvae of day flies, stoneflies and caddis flies, which depend on a coarse-grained bottom substrate as their habitat, cannot survive and fail as a food source for fish species such as brown trout. Trout also need a gravelly subsoil to breed. If this is covered by sand, the larvae suffocate and successful reproduction is no longer possible.

The protection of important biospheres

The Lutter Mill

For the water supply of the mill an approximately one kilometre long canal was dug, which is fed by the Weesener brook. At the sawmill, a pond was also built as a water reservoir to provide more water power if required and to saw large oaks, for example.

The most important facts of the tour in a few words