In the years after the Second World War, everything was done to turn the Große Aue into a canal-like river and thus to achieve a flood-free river course. In the 1980s, initiatives in the Minden-Lübbecke area led to the decision to renaturate the river landscape. The landscape, which has become species-poor as a result of the expansion, should recover. Alluvial forests, hedges and the typical plants and animals should be given a habitat again.
When the ground-breaking ceremony for renaturation took place in 1989, this project was unique in North Rhine-Westphalia. The monotonous river bed and its up to 300 m wide side spaces were redesigned to form a near-natural meadow landscape. Approximately 200 hectares of flood plains have been reclaimed. The technically upgraded barrel was largely preserved. At the same time, a new body of water was created that flows into the old course at several points. From today's perspective, a species-rich animal and plant world was created without flood disasters being expected.
Source: Wikipedia