Loemühlenbachtal, nature reserve in Recklinghausen district, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Loemühlenbachtal is a 60.52-hectare nature reserve (code RE-048) in the cities of Herten, Recklinghausen and Marl, named after the Loemühlenbach that rises in Herten. The stream and several unnamed tributaries fed by seepage on the impermeable "Recklinghäuser Sandmergel" cut a pronounced valley, partly floodplain and partly shaped by people. Its biotopes range from spring brook and ponds to wet meadows, reed beds, large sedge marsh and alder swamp forest.

The area was historically shaped by old water mills that used water from the stream to power machinery, as the namesake Loemühle demonstrates. The valley was altered by human activities, but since its designation as a protected area, efforts have been made to restore more natural stream flow and habitats.

The reserve is named after the Loemühlenbach, which rises in Herten. The stream leaves the protected area at Marl, where it is partly culverted at the historic Loemühle and its water feeds an artificial pond. The reserve is registered as PL365HRT in the Emscher Landschaftspark 2010 project.

The reserve lies on the territory of Herten, Recklinghausen and Marl and is crossed by the Loemühlenbach and several unnamed seepage-fed tributaries whose flow depends on rainfall. The stream stays close to its natural state inside the reserve but is partly culverted outside it in Marl, near the historic Loemühle, where a side channel feeds an artificial pond. Expect wet, uneven ground along the water and plan for muddy banks after rain.

The stream's course is fed by seepage water on the impermeable "Recklinghäuser Sandmergel" layer, so several unnamed tributaries appear only after rainfall and shrink or vanish in dry spells. Outside the reserve, near the historic Loemühle in Marl, the brook is partly piped and its water backs up an artificial pond.