The Düte rises in the Teutoburg Forest, flows from Georgsmarienhütte through the western part of Osnabrück's city center, and empties into the Hase River in Lotte-Wersen, North Rhine-Westphalia. The Fauna-Flora-Habitat area encompasses a river stretch of approximately 31 kilometers in length in the district and city of Osnabrück. Within the city, the entire river course and some widened areas, with a length of a good 13 kilometers, are part of the Natura 2000 protected area system.
In large sections of the urban stretch, the Düte is still characterized by a meandering course. The banks are often still covered with a typical woody cover of alder and ash, or tree and shrub willows. Many sections of the river have a near-natural appearance and are often classified as specially protected biotopes.
Nevertheless, significant problems exist from a water hydraulic perspective. In recent decades, significant erosion of the riverbed and banks has occurred, resulting in depressions. As a visible consequence of this erosion, existing woody plants may be threatened by undercutting.