Klingnauer Stausee, reservoir
Klingnauer Stausee is a reservoir in the canton of Aargau, Switzerland, formed by a dam on the Aare River. It covers open water, reed beds, wet meadows, and stretches of willow and ash woodland along its banks.
A dam was built on the Aare River in the 1930s to generate hydroelectric power, and the water held back formed the reservoir seen today. In 1990, the site received international protection as a Ramsar wetland.
The name Klingnauer Stausee comes from the nearby town of Klingnau. The site draws birdwatchers who walk the shoreline paths with binoculars, looking for wading birds and waterfowl across the open water and reed beds.
The site lies close to the towns of Döttingen and Klingnau and is easy to reach on foot or by bike. Footpaths run along the shoreline and are open year-round, making a visit possible in any season.
The water level in the reservoir rises and falls regularly, exposing mudflats and shallow areas that attract wading birds during migration. These changes are not caused by tides but by how the dam is operated.
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