Stausee Hengsen, reservoir in Germany
Stausee Hengsen is a reservoir on the Ruhr river, situated between Holzwickede and Iserlohn in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. A dam controls the water level, and the site functions as a storage and groundwater recharge facility for the surrounding area.
The reservoir was built in 1937 to regulate the flow of the Ruhr and reduce flood risk in the region. In the years following World War II it was briefly opened for recreation, but that use ended by the 1970s as water management became the sole priority.
Locals use the shore path for regular walks, and the water draws people who come to watch birds and enjoy the open air. The small island in the middle of the lake gives the place a natural quality that makes it feel more like a nature spot than a piece of infrastructure.
A footpath follows the shoreline and makes it easy to walk around the water at your own pace. The path is accessible and has benches along the way, so you can stop and take in the surroundings whenever you like.
Cormorants have used the small island in the middle of the water as a nesting ground since 1993, forming a colony that has stayed ever since. This makes it one of the few stable breeding spots for cormorants in the wider region.
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