Mindelsee

The Mindelsee is a Gletscherzungensee on the Bodanrück on the districts Möggingen and Markelfingen in the eastern municipality of Radolfzell. The lake is approximately 1800 meters northeast of Markelfingen. Today's water area is about 115 hectares with an average water depth of eight meters. The lake extends to approximately 2200 m in length and 570 m width in a northwest-southeast direction. In addition to several sources, he is fed by Fällgraben from the west, and from the Krebsbach and Adersbach from the east, the outflow is via the Mühlbach in the submarine. Since 1938 the area nature reserve with an area of around 411 hectares. For an additional 50 acres of the status of a conservation area is considered. Beginning of the 21st century, the nature reserve Mindelsee was designated as Significant bird sanctuary according to the guidelines of the European Union and included in the list of Natura 2000 sites.

Formation

The Mindelseebecken, which is up to 100 meters below the average height level of the surrounding young glacial drumlin, was carved out in the Ice Age, a glacier tongue of the Rhine glacier and filled after the melting of the glacier about 15,000 years ago with water. In the vast, damp, surrounding areas, fens formed with layers of peat up to ten meters in thickness.

In addition to the peat, which lasted until the first decades of the last century, but especially the amelioration measures were formative for the landscape of today's Mindelseegebietes, so measures to increase value of the soil. The lake level was again lowered by siltation processes and later by draining action that began already in the late Middle Ages, that the lake of once shrank more than 8 kilometers in length and up to two kilometers wide at the size it is today. At the same time, however, results in habitat diversity of today's nature reserve from these experiments, the bottom hole, as it was known to dry up.

Habitats

The total small Mindelseegebiet hosts a number of habitats, most of which are increasingly threatened in our time, or have already disappeared completely. In addition to the open water surface, they are primarily extensive reed zones and drier Riedwiesen, verlandende Torfstichgebiete with remaining small lakes and ponds, and adjoining bush and high bush corridors. The extensively used Ried, scattering and mainly for sheep grazing pastures are often surrounded by a species-rich Heckensaum. In the south, an old, high -stemmed beech dominated mixed forest immediately adjacent to the lake. Along the inflowing streams and the Millstream willow and poplar galleries have been created. Particularly rich in rare plants and insects are the Kalkquellsümpfe the north and east of the lake.

Flora and Fauna

More than 700 different flowering plants, as well as hundreds of moss and algae species were found in Mindelseegebiet, including many rare, partly from the endangered species. Particularly noteworthy is the occurrence of more than 20 species of orchids, including the Europe -only peat - gloss herb, marsh helleborine, the summer Drehwurz, and Traun Steiner orchid.

Similarly, species-rich and diverse is the wildlife. Nearly 600 species of beetles, with over 400 different butterflies and about 40 different dragonflies are found in the nature reserve.

Noteworthy are also the occurrence of different species of bats, including the very endangered gray long ear.

In the nature reserve were counted on the 100 regularly breeding species of birds, including rare as Red-backed Shrike, Great Reed Warbler, Middle Spotted Woodpecker or Stonechat. The Common Tern could be settled with the help of anchored in the lake platforms ( breeding rafts ) again. Despite apparently optimal conditions also disappeared earlier regularly breeding species such as snipe, gray shrike or hoopoe. In autumn and winter the Mindelsee ( as long as it does not freeze ) many water birds a safe staging, moulting and wintering area. Particularly noteworthy are the resting and occasional winter occurrence of endangered throughout its distribution area ferruginous duck.

The marginal areas of the lake, the pool and ponds are rich in amphibians and reptiles. Edible Frog, Spring Frog and newt find their habitats here. The grass snake is not uncommon in the drier areas comes before the fence lizard.

The Mindelsee is supervised by a Berufsfischerin - both stocking and fishing subject to stringent control.