The Eppendorfer Mühlenteich in Hamburg was created by damming the Tarpenbek to operate the water mill, which has been documented since 1263, before it flows into the Alster. The Eppendorfer Mühlenteich is located in the Eppendorf district, on Erikastrasse, and is surrounded by an idyllic green strip. It was a popular excursion destination for many botanists from the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century because of its abundance of rare aquatic plants. The Hamburg Alster swans overwinter here in a fenced area that is kept ice-free by a circulation pump and attracts many other water birds during periods of permanent frost; the "swan father" also nurses injured water birds back to health here. Many grey herons from the nearby colony in Bramfelder See (near Ohlsdorf Cemetery) can be found in the trees on the bank. The Eppendorfer Mühlenteich is designated as a restricted area in accordance with the state fishing regulations, and fishing is expressly prohibited.