PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Right up into the middle of this century the Dümmer lowlands were, from a land user's perspective, of inferior quality. The Hunte stream flowing through the Dümmer regularly flooded up to 100 km², creating a mosaic of lowland fen habitats with wet meadows, sedges, reeds, lakes with reed islets, bands of floating vegetation and alder woods. Although the local people found this terrain hard to use, for a great number of migrating birds passing through, the site was ideal as flyway lay-by. Many waders, waterfowl and meadow-breeding birds flocked here to nest or winter. In 1953 the Dümmer was enclosed by dykes and the fens subsequently drained. Farmers could breathe a sigh of relief, but the birds were faced with the deterioration of their staging point as intensification of agriculture degraded the fens. Even so, the site remained a magnet for birds, simply because there were no alternatives in the area, dominated by very intensive livestock husbandry for meat production. In 1987 the Niedersachsen regional government adopted a Dümmer restoration concept with the overall aim of preserving the fens as well as breeding sites for bittern and corncrake. German federal funds as well as EU Structural Funds were used, via land purchase, biotope improvement works and agricultural extensification, to begin to unravel the amalgam of conflicting land use interests such as tourism, agriculture, water management and conservation over an area of 12,700 ha.
OBJECTIVES
The LIFE-Nature project was to round off the process by carrying out the last land acquisitions required in the Ochsenmoor, on the southern edge of the Dümmer, and, above all, large-scale rehumidification. Restoring seasonal variations in groundwater levels, which on average were to be kept as high as possible, and inundating the land in winter, was meant to preserve or restore the diversity of natural and semi-natural habitats and biotopes. Aquatic and terrestrial habitats were to mesh, creating lowlands marked by large-scale associations of humid to wet grassland and reedlands with Molinia meadows, Calthion meadows, fens of small and large sedges and communities of tall herbs. This in turn would secure the preservation and further development of suitable staging and wintering areas for waterfowl, waders and meadow birds. The rehumidification would also help bird species which nest in meadows or in reeds. At the end of the day, the Dümmer rest area along the Euro-African flyway would be back in business!
RESULTS
The beneficiary has raised water levels in the southern part of the Dümmer, an area of 1150 ha. A land consolidation scheme was used to buy and swap land (19 ha) within the project area. The beneficiary created a system of ditches, partly new, to collect all rain water,now running in ditches and creeks towards the Dümmer lake, and direct it into the project area, where several adjustable weirs (23 in total, 14 cofinanced by LIFE) regulate the water level. The winter level will create an expanse of shallow water while in summer, due to the desired extensive agricultural use of the grasslands, the water level is lowered to 40 cm below the surface. Pumping stations, other ditches and weirs outside the project area keep the surplus water away from agricultural land outside the rehumidification zone. The rehumidified land was leased out to farmers with long-term contracts, with obligations related to the nature conservation aim of the project and the wider restoration aim of the Dümmer area. There was a positive response to these offers, and all sections are now under bird-friendly use. There is cooperation between the local Biologische Station and the farmers. Accompanying measures for visitors to the area were also made, such as a nature trail with interactive installations. An observation tower was built to give a good overview of the area, but these measures were done parallel to the LIFE project.The beneficiary has raised water levels in the southern part of the Dümmer, an area of 1150 ha. A land consolidation scheme was used to buy and swap land (19 ha) within the project area. The beneficiary created a system of ditches, partly new, to collect all rain water,now running in ditches and creeks towards the Dümmer lake, and direct it into the project area, where several adjustable weirs (23 in total, 14 cofinanced by LIFE) regulate the water level. The winter level will create an expanse of shallow water while in summer, due to the desired extensive agricultural use of the grasslands, the water level is lowered to 40 cm below the surface. Pumping stations, other ditches and weirs outside the project area keep the surplus water away from agricultural land outside the rehumidification zone. The rehumidified land was leased out to farmers with long-term contracts, with obligations related to the nature conservation aim of the project and the wider restoration aim of the Dümmer area. There was a positive response to these offers, and all sections are now under bird-friendly use. There is cooperation between the local Biologische Station and the farmers. Accompanying measures for visitors to the area were also made, such as a nature trail with interactive installations. An observation tower was built to give a good overview of the area, but these measures were done parallel to the LIFE project.