In the Schwenninger Moos,...
which lies on the European watershed of the Rhine and Danube, the water of the Neckar collects, as does the surrounding plateau.
From the Moos, the water flows southwest, to the Marbacher Talbach, to the Brigach, to the Danube, and into the Black Sea; on the other hand, to the north into the Bauchenberg rain retention basin, through the Möglingshöhe park to the historic source of the Neckar, to the Rhine into the Norasee.
The mighty peat deposit of the Schwenninger Moos has been mined with various interruptions over the last 200 years. Strict drainage measures also led to the collapse of the remaining moor body. The uniform system of drainage ditches remains visible to this day.
The drying out of the moor body made it possible for bushes and trees to colonize the areas, so that the moss became more and more forested. However, through their evaporation, trees and bushes in particular contributed greatly to the moss drying out even more quickly and the peat being broken down by the incoming air.
The resulting nutrient enrichment and shading meant that the flora and fauna typical of moors were almost completely displaced.
In 1976 the garden and cemetery office drew attention to this ever-accelerating process and at the beginning of 1980 they were able to. with the support of the district office for nature conservation and landscape conservation
Freiburg, the first steps to save the moss will be discussed.
In 1982, rewetting measures were started for the first time in order to sustainably improve the water balance of the moor. The existing drainage ditches could gradually be built with dams made of tort and bushes, so that the rainwater was backed up and the overall water level rose again. The high water level prevents the cake from rotting and the growth of new trees; Many older trees also die due to the persistent lack of oxygen at their roots.
With rewetting, drying out and forestation were stopped. The growth of the mosses and other typical moor plants has already begun and a real regeneration of the Schwenninger moss can be expected. This means that it will once again become a natural water reservoir for the Neckar with the important constant flow.