Erlache, Nature reserve lake in Bensheim, Germany

Erlache is a gravel pit lake in the municipality of Bensheim, Bergstraße district, Hesse, and part of the Erlache bei Bensheim nature reserve. It lies among alder carr woodland, willows, grassland, reeds and rushes, and its wooded bank is a lowland forest of poplars and alders. The lake belongs to the trophic lake group of the North German lowlands.

Gravel extraction at Erlache uncovered Ice Age fossils, including mammoth and steppe bison bones preserved in sediment layers. These discoveries reveal that massive herbivores inhabited the region thousands of years ago.

The name Erlache refers to the alder groves around the water, and the surrounding Erlenbruchwald of alders and poplars has been left unmanaged since the Bensheim council decided in August 2018 to stop forestry use of the Erlachwäldchen. Visitors can watch Canada geese, present here since 1986, alongside introduced Egyptian geese and, occasionally, single white-cheeked or barnacle geese.

The shoreline is accessible for observing water birds, raptors, and various woodpeckers in their natural setting. The best time to visit is during early morning or late afternoon hours when wildlife is most active.

Beavers established a colony at the lake beginning in 2017, while Canadian geese have maintained a permanent population there since 1986. These two species demonstrate the return of wildlife to the region.