Erlenbach (Nidda)

Course

Source

In Köpperner Valley

Shortly before Nieder-Erlenbach

Estuary at Bad Vilbel

The Erlenbach is a low mountain in the state of Hesse, Germany. It rises in the Taunus and opens into the Nidda.

Geography

The main source of Erlenbach is located near the Great Feldberg hill northeast of the Sandplackens, not far below the Taunus ridge. There the Erlenbach in a several -meter pool emerges. Shortly after the source he leads a relatively large amount of water. After a steep flow path of Erlenbach is supplied in steel Hainer plot near Neu-Anspach by many small streams. In a bow he reached Wehrheim. There ends the Bizzenbach. Behind Wehrheim at the level of the hole mill creek has broken through the Taunus quartzite ridge as Köpperner valley. Here the creek leads permanently so much water that historically 7 mills had settled on Wehrheimer area. In addition to the hole mill was the most famous monastery of the Sandelmuehle throne.

After Köpperner Valley of Erlenbach arrives in Friedrichsdorf. After the town Köppern the spit Forest, shortly afterwards Burgholzhausen follows. Here water is diverted for a fish pond. Most fish species occur in this area. The Niederweidbach, a wet meadow, below the castle Holzhausen. It is watered mainly by a mill race, the downstream ends slightly to a mill back in the Erlenbach. On the boundaries of the nearest town, Bad Homburg, the Erlenbach reached the Lohwald where the Seulbach opens. Continue through the district Bad Homburg Ober-Erlenbach follows the first and only sewage treatment plant at the creek. Before that, there is also a level whose values ​​can be accessed on the Internet (→ External links ). Now he reached in Nieder-Erlenbach the Frankfurt district to lead not much later in the area of ​​Bad Vilbel mass home in the Nidda.

The major tributary of the Erlenbach are the Seulbach in Friedrichsdorf or Bizzenbach in Wehrheim. In the Taunus and the Köpperner valley lead many small, usually dry creeks. You can carry high amounts of water in the rain and thus contribute to high peaks.

By the year 2002, the Erlenbach bike path was built, which thereby allows the cycling or walking from the source to the mouth. 2006, a last problem point on the motorway underpass in Friedrichsdorf was defused in the course of construction of the relief road. A ramp now replaced stairs, also a path portion was fixed.

Water quality

The Erlenbach has mostly Class I -II ( lightly loaded ). At the source of the water with stage I (unloaded ) is still very clean. Agriculture in Neu-Anspach has a negative effect; the grade is only II ( moderately polluted ). From the Köpperner Valley of Erlenbach but its self-purification capacity recovers and again has the grade I-II. The adheres to the sewage plant, behind which he falls at Level II, thanks to the effective cleaning.

Ecological

Unlike many other Hessian rivers and streams, the water structure of the Erlenbach average is satisfactory. Weirs are very rare today. In January 2005, the penultimate weir was removed on Friedrichsdorfer area. Last barriers are the level at Ober-Erlenbach, a weir in Köppern and the congestion at the amusement park hole mill. The former concrete tunnel under the A5 was renatured in the course of construction of Friedrichsdorfer relief road that also crosses under the Erlenbach with Taunusquartzite stones and removes a measuring point in the valley Köpperner 2008.

In the area of the district Friedrichsdorf took over in the 1980s, the local local chapter of the Federation for Environment and Nature Conservation Germany a Bach sponsoring a ten -kilometer section of Erlenbach. The liabilities assumed by the brook godfathers tasks are the cleaning of the water body of waste of all kinds as well as in the observation of water quality based on biological indicators. More of their activities is to secure and maintain the bank woody zones - in vegetation gaps the brook young black alder are ( Alnus glutinosa) planted and the stock of pollarded willows ( Salix) maintained - and the development of renaturation measures in cooperation with professional services of the local government.

The ecologically significant mill race behind Burgholzhausen, which was derived there on a weir is supplied since the demolition of the weir by a powerful electric pump that runs under the Habitats Directive only when water levels higher than 15 cm. He runs above the approximately 2 -acre wetland area Niederweidbach to the waterlogging he contributes through seepage. The upper mill race in Köppern had to be drained in 2004, as it was filled in the course of the termination of a factory building at the end. The weir is still preserved. A citizens' initiative aims to get the ditch than ground monument and tried for the drainage to allow water the ditch again. The members cleaned periodically digging and environment and vegetation. This trench also crosses an inlet of Erlenbach. Another mill race that runs from Köppern to Burgholzhausen leads, for some time no more water. Located on the outskirts of Köppern weir was also renatured with quartzite blocks. More mill races in Köpperner valley at the fulling mill and between Buchwiese and metallurgical mill (today Waldkrankenhaus Köppern ) are practically invisible, the weirs were also removed and renatured the creek area.

One of the most natural places of the Erlenbaches is the Lohwald on the northern border of Bad Homburg. Here the Erlenbach has partly a water structure quality of stage II source and a forest in Nieder-Erlenbach also have natural sites on.

The mouth region of the Erlenbach was completely rehabilitated in 1995. Here, the creek was laid from the artificial part back to the original stream bed. The Niddaweg was performed around the region.

Water values

The table contains general water values ​​measured in summer.

Creature

The Erlenbach (up Burgholzhausen ) populated in the colder areas of numerous small creatures such as the caddis, mayflies and stoneflies larva. In the stream before coming

• Trout
• Minnows
• Hazel
• Bachschmerlen
• Sculpins
• Chub
• Sticklebacks
• Eels
• Gudgeons and
• Signal crayfish

The native crayfish are rarely found.

From the Lohwald the chub - occurrence increases, the cold-loving species such as bullhead trout are no longer to be found here. Since the removal of the weir at Burgholzhausen the crabs colonize now partially the areas downstream of the district.

Live out of water, many small mammals, such as muskrats. Also, the kingfisher is found here.

In the 18th century the Erlenbach was considered the richest trout waters of the Taunus.

Others

Once a year, individuals meet in Köppern to Bach cleaning, in which the stream of debris and partially neophyte as the Indian Balsam, which is not as abundant as compared to other waters of the region, or the Japanese Knotweed, are exempt. The latter is very common, especially in spit forest.

In addition, the fishing club Erlenbach care of the stocks in the creek and a pond at Burgholzhausen, which is also fed by the stream from.

Inflows

Among the tributaries of the Erlenbaches include ( downriver considered, kilometer data from estuary to source):