Pötenitzer Wiek

The Untertrave that Pötenitzer Wiek and the subsequent Dassower lake together form an approximately 40 km ² mesohalines inner coastal waters in Schleswig -Holstein on the border of Mecklenburg -Western Pomerania, which is also called Travelodge Fjord, but unites in himself characteristics of different water formations. The water surface belongs to the total area of the Hanseatic city of Lübeck, the eastern bank of Mecklenburg Vorpommern.

Geography and Geology

The salt content of between 5 g / kg and 10 g / kg, indicates frequent inflow events of seawater from the Bay of Lübeck, making this water area is also south of Travemünde a bay. The fact that the salinity is much lower than in the Bay of Lübeck (PSU in February 2005 at Bolton superficially 16.8 g / kg and at depth 19.5 g / kg ) and even than in the Unterwarnow ( 10.4 to 10.8 g / kg), emphasizes the character as mouth area ( estuary ) of Travelodge and Stepenitz. While close to the river bottom salinities up to about 9 g / kg have been measured, they are mostly superficial low. So the Untertrave and its tributaries are classified as " brackish influenced inflows ".

Caused by glacial erosion during the Pomeranian Eisvorstoß Weichseleiszeit, this coastal waters can be considered as a promoter of little depth. One also speaks of Travelodge Fjord.

The Priwall as spits, the Pötenitzer Wiek separated from the Bay of Lübeck and only the narrow " Trave estuary " as a tidal inlet leaves open is the large body of water the character of a Lagoon.

Habitat and conservation

The Untertrave, despite its function as a waterway an important habitat for waterfowl and classified as such in accordance with Natura 2000. Even more important than natural space are Pötenitzer Wiek and Dassower lake. On the Pötenitzer Wiek the boat traffic is restricted. The shores are rich in bushes and reeds, even small salt marshes there. The south bank of Priwalls and water surface, islands and shores of 8 km ² Dassower lake are protected.

Former water aerodrome

Until the Second World War, the Pötenitzer Wiek was starting and runway for seaplanes of the then existing on the Priwall airport Lufthansa. While the airport on the Priwall with some buildings is still clearly visible and the main building is used again since the year 1952 as the Schleswig -Holstein Nautical School, the ruins of buildings constructed on the military use in the 1930s, air ordnance lake or air ordnance Pötenitz are largely overgrown by nature and difficult to identify. The name comes from the Mecklenburg town Pötenitz that belongs to the city Dassow since 2004. The old investors can be seen on aerial photographs, or at low water on the eastern shore of Wiek yet.