The Rieselfelder Münster are a European bird sanctuary in the area of former drainage areas for the sewage of the Westphalian city of Münster. It belongs to the Natura 2000 network of protected areas and bears the identifier DE-3911-401.[1][2] It offers refuge to many endangered bird species and is also a popular destination for the people of Münster. It is located north of the Coerde district. The total area is about 4.3 km².
The history of the sewage fields goes back to the year 1901. The amount of sewage produced increased due to the increase in the population of Münster, and there were complaints from downstream residents of the Aa and Ems. A large area was required in order to clean the waste water by means of irrigation based on the model of the Berlin sewage fields. The city of Münster designated heath areas in the “Coer-Heide” and “Gelmerheide” which lay between the then independent communities of Sprakel and Gelmer. This low terrace between the Münsterscher Aa and the Ems offered ideal geological conditions with its thick layer of sand.
As the city's population grew, so did the amount of wastewater. At the beginning of the 1960s, the drainage area had grown to over 6.4 km², and many areas were now flooded with sewage all year round. Due to the simultaneous destruction of the many inland wet habitats throughout Europe, numerous water and wading bird species found an ideal resting and breeding area in the sewage fields of Münster. The "Biological Station Rieselfelder Münster" was founded in 1968 in order to be able to observe and protect this special habitat more closely. The large sewage treatment plant completed in 1975 posed a serious threat. The sewage fields dried up and, according to the plans of the city of Münster, some of them were to be transformed into an industrial area with a branch canal and railway connection, and the construction of a nuclear power plant on the Ems was even considered. On the other hand, a citizens' initiative made itself strong, which was ultimately successful.
As early as 1977, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia had leased an area of 2.33 km² from the city of Münster for nature conservation purposes. In 1978, it was designated a European reserve, and in 1983 it was recognized as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, which stipulates, among other things, biodiversity and to apply the principle of sustainable, ecologically balanced use.
In 1998, the "Northern Aatal and Vorbergs Hügel" landscape plan came into force, which designated large parts of the Rieselfelder Münster as a nature reserve. In the period from 1998 to 2000, other areas that had already been drained were converted back into wetlands. Since then, the Rieselfelder Münster has developed into a popular local recreation and nature experience area, which at the same time does justice to its nature conservation tasks.