The Vehnemoor is a nature reserve in the Lower Saxon communities of Bösel in the Cloppenburg district and Edewecht in the Ammerland district.
The nature reserve with the sign NSG WE 207 is around 1,676 hectares in size. Of this, 1,470 hectares are in the district of Cloppenburg and 206 hectares in the district of Ammerland. The area has been under nature protection since November 27, 2008. It included the "Vehnemoor-Jordanshof" nature reserve, which was designated in 1991 and was around 96 hectares (date of the ordinance: April 11, 1991) and the "Vehnemoor-Dustmeer" nature reserve, which was also designated in 1991 and was around 64 hectares (date of the ordinance: April 31, 1991). July 1991) on. The districts of Cloppenburg and Ammerland are responsible for the lower nature conservation authorities.
The nature reserve is located southwest of Oldenburg in the Vehne and Lahe lowlands. It protects part of the formerly extensive Vehnemoor complex. Industrial peat extraction is still taking place in parts of the area. The permits expire in 2021[obsolete] and 2022. The nature conservation ordinance comes into force in these areas at the end of the year in which the authorized peat extraction ends. Most of the areas in the nature reserve were and will be renatured through rewetting after the end of peat extraction. Here the moor can regenerate. Cotton grass and peat moss have already settled in the rewetted areas. In the area of the former nature reserve "Vehnemoor-Jordanshof" in the north-west of the nature reserve "Vehnemoor" there is mostly bog forest on a raised bog site that has been heavily altered by partial peat extraction and drainage. In the area of the former nature reserve "Vehnemoor-Dustmeer" in the central area of the nature reserve "Vehnemoor" there is also bog forest, which is much lighter than that in the "Jordanshof" area. Parts of the area are still largely open. A small area around the natural monument "Barwisch Meer" in the north-east of the nature reserve is structured in a similar way. In both areas, natural elements of the original high moor can still be found. In the former nature reserve "Dustmoor" settle e.g. B. the peat moss Spit peat moss, deceptive peat moss, medium peat moss and warty peat moss, narrow-leaved and sheathed cottongrass, medium and round-leaved sundew, rosemary, common and bell heather, white beak reed, moor grass, cranberry and hogweed.
The 1600 hectare Vehnemoor is the eastern branch of the Hunte-Leda-Moorniederung. This lowland, running in east-west direction, separates the East Frisian-Oldenburg Geest from the Hümmling and Cloppenburger Geest over a length of about 60 km and a width of up to 25 km. In terms of nature, the Vehnemoor is surrounded in a semicircle in the southwest, south and east by the Esterweger Geestinseln, the Garreler valley sand plates, the Wardenburger Land and the Oldenburger Geestsporn. In the north, the Eschhügel, which protrudes far inwards, divides the Edewechter Geest into the lowlands. To the east of it, the Geest Island of Jeddeloh I and the Wildenlohsmoor form the border, to the west of it the Vehnemoor merges into the Lange Moor and the Fintlandsmoor. It is named after Vehne, which flows through the moor from south to north. This small moor river was used to drain the area until the middle of the 19th century, after which today's coastal canal has this over