List of alluvial sites in Switzerland
In Switzerland, riparian areas are of national importance since 1992, protected by a federal regulation. The aim of the Regulation is to receive the most important riparian areas undiminished.
The regulation was written based on a recommendation of the Council of Europe from 1982 to protect the remaining wetlands. Underlying law is Article 18a, paragraphs 1 and 3 of the Federal Act of 1 July 1961 on the Nature and Cultural Heritage Protection, the Natural and Cultural Heritage Protection Act. Responsible is the Federal Office for Environmental Protection.
Currently, are protected by a total of 226 km ² by this Regulation 282 objects, which is about half a percent the size of Switzerland.
Geographical classification
The riparian areas are divided into:
- Alpine alluvial plains (15 )
- Subalpine rivers and streams from 1320 to 2020 m (21 natural, 3 corrected )
- Montane rivers and streams 560-1420 m (59 natural, 11 corrected )
- Collinear flows 280-660 m Plateau (24 natural, 27 corrected )
- Southern Alps and Canton of Geneva (13 natural, 7 corrected )
- Central Alps (6 )
- Lakeshore Kollin and montane (13 )
- Reservoir shore Kollin and montane ( 5)
Vegetation types
The protected areas have the following vegetation types ( figures in percent of the protected area):
- Water (8 %)
- Naked or little covered alluvial sediments (3%)
- Auenfläche with herbaceous vegetation (7%)
- Softwood (8%)
- Hartholzaue (9%)
- Other forests (17%)
- Alpine meadows (42%)
- Other areas (6%)
Examples
The alluvial areas of national importance include all or part of
- Engstligenalp, alpine floodplain, 2003 ( No. 1352)
- The Engstligental above Frutigen, natural montane river, 1992 ( No. 78 )
- The Gasterental, natural montane river, 1992 (No. 325)
- The plateau, alpine floodplain, 1992 ( No. 1320)
- Klingnauer reservoir, kollines reservoir shore, 1992 ( No. 36)
- Morteratschgletscher, glacier foreland, 2001 ( No 1238 )
- The Magadinoebene, Delta, 1992 ( No. 169)
- The Pfynwald, Kolliner River Central Alps, 1992 ( No. 133)
- Rhone glacier, glacier foreland, 1992 ( No. 1215)
- Rosenlaui, glacier foreland, 2001 ( No 1216 )
- The moated castle Brugg- Stilli, meadow landscape ( No. 37)
- Wildstrubel glacier, glacier foreland, 2001 ( No 1129 )
- Zinalgletscher, glacier foreland, 2001 ( No 1038 )