Delta de la Sauer

A nature reserve in France, Alsace, the "Réserve naturelle du delta de la Sauer" must be seen to fully enjoy the last refuges of the original nature on the Upper Rhine with all senses. Eyes, ears, and nose are engaged and depending on the season give a different impression.

The hiker or Sunday strollers can expect flat terrain, occasionally floods at high water (snowmelt in the Vosges and Palatinate Forest, persistent heavy rains), so one should be prepared.

On an area of about 500 ha, there is a mosaic of various habitats. Foremost are the characteristic stands of white willows. They are the hallmark of one of the last intact softwood floodplains in Central Europe. Remarkably, the willows stand in water for about 4 – 5 months annually due to natural flooding events. At the edges of the softwood floodplain, in slightly higher areas, you find ash, elm, and oak. These form the adjoining hardwood floodplain. Plantings of poplars complement the forests. Furthermore, the lower-lying areas, which are moist meadows, swamps, or riparian zones with pioneer vegetation repeatedly affected by flooding, are considered especially characteristic for the delta. There are more than 400 different plant species here. Among them are goosefoot, marsh spurge, knotweed, marsh burnet, horsetails, sedges, and reed beds. Especially for water-dependent animals such as fish, newts, frogs, or dragonflies, the Sauer delta offers an ideal habitat. Amphibians occur in great diversity. Whether jumping frog, common water frog, tree frog, earth frog, crested newt, or garlic toad, they all live here. The Sauer delta can also be called a paradise for birds. Locally, species like the great reed warbler, bluethroat, and penduline tit breed. On the wet meadows, storks are common, sometimes also grey herons, and on the water surfaces numerous water birds are found, including greylag goose, little grebe, goldeneye, and mute swan.