Reservebecken Alfhausen-Rieste, Stausee in Deutschland
Reservebecken Alfhausen-Rieste is a large water basin in Lower Saxony built for flood control and able to store over 20 million cubic meters of water. The central lake covers about 16 hectares and is surrounded by 120 hectares of wetlands and forest, with a dam over 43 meters high.
The basin was built between 1970 and 1996 to control flooding from the Hase River and protect villages and farms downstream. Since 1991 it has been officially designated as a nature reserve and was integrated into a larger landscape protection area in 2015.
The basin is now recognized primarily as a bird protection area that draws many birdwatchers. The wetlands and old forests provide habitat for about 94 different water bird species that rest, breed, or overwinter here.
Access to some areas is limited for safety reasons, but there are paths and observation points for visitors who want to explore the wetlands and forests. The best time to visit is during spring and fall when many migrating birds pass through and diversity is greatest.
During heavy rains, more than 20,000 migrating birds can stop here in a single day to save energy for their long journeys. These brief stops allow the birds to rest and feed before continuing their migration.
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