Waters of the Rhön

Due to the partly oceanic climate of the Rhön with high annual precipitation around 1000 millimeters, the hydrological conditions for the existence of numerous bodies of water in the Rhön are given. There are only a few natural standing waters. The rivers of the Rhön are of great importance . Springs and moors occupy a special position.

Standing waters

In addition to man-made ponds and lakes, there are mainly in the eastern part of the Rhön some water-filled sinkholes caused by leaching of salt deposits or limestone as a sinkhole caused. Most of the reservoirs in Thuringia are in the foreland and are no longer part of the Rhön. There are no larger lakes in the region.

List of standing waters in the Rhön

Organized by district, starting with the Wartburg district in the north of the Rhön, then clockwise:

Surname	picture	Municipality / location	description
Bernshauser cowl		Bernshausen , Wartburgkreis 50 ° 43 ′ 34 "N, 10 ° 12 ′ 3" E	Erdfallweiher ( sinkhole ) in the Wartburg district and with a diameter of 250 m already the largest lake in the Thuringian Rhön .
Schönsee		Urnshausen , Wartburg district 50 ° 44 ′ 30 ″ N, 10 ° 12 ′ 20 ″ E	The Schönsee is another sinkhole lake ( sinkhole ) in the region with an area of ​​3.4 hectares.
Seebaer See		Seeba , district of Schmalkalden-Meiningen 50 ° 34 ′ 10 ″ N, 10 ° 18 ′ 12 ″ E	The Seebaer See is a sinkhole lake that was created by the leaching of shell limestone . It has a diameter of approx. 280 m.
Eckardts memory		Eckardts , district of Schmalkalden-Meiningen 50 ° 41 ′ 7 ″ N, 10 ° 14 ′ 53 ″ E	The Eckardts reservoir is a dam that dams the Schildbach. It has a volume of 60,000 m³, the dam wall has a height of 6.98 m.
Frickenhauser lake		Mellrichstadt - Frickenhausen , district of Rhön-Grabfeld 50 ° 24 ′ 10 ″ N, 10 ° 14 ′ 13 ″ E	With an area of ​​1.1 hectares, the Frickenhäuser See is the largest natural lake in Lower Franconia. Due to its history as a sinkhole , it has been included in the list of the most beautiful geotopes in Bavaria by the Bavarian State Office for the Environment.
Basalt lake at the stone house		Ginolfs , Rhön-Grabfeld district 50 ° 27 ′ 20 ″ N, 10 ° 3 ′ 14 ″ E	The name basalt lake appears several times in the Rhön. It is always abandoned basalt quarries that have filled with water. This is located in the landscape protection area Lange Rhön northwest of the community of Ginolfs zu Oberelsbach . It is listed as a geotope for the Rhön-Grabfeld district . The area is approx. 4500 m².
Rothsee		Bischofsheim in the Rhön , district of Rhön-Grabfeld 50 ° 25 ′ 30 ″ N, 10 ° 1 ′ 19 ″ E	The Rothsee is an artificially created lake with an area of ​​approx. 9000 m². It is located on the Bauersberg in the municipality of Bischofsheim .
Burgwallbacher See		Burgwallbach , District of Rhön-Grabfeld 50 ° 21 ′ 8 ″ N, 10 ° 7 ′ 29 ″ E	The Burgwallbacher See is an artificially created bathing lake with an area of ​​approx. 1.4 hectares due to the damming of the Weihersbach. It belongs to the municipality of Schönau an der Brend in the Rhön-Grabfeld district .
Basalt lake inkwell		Riedenberg , Bad Kissingen district 50 ° 18 ′ 59 ″ N, 9 ° 53 ′ 14 ″ E	The inkwell is another basalt quarry in the Rhön that has filled with water. From 1908 to 1970 basalt was mined here and transported into the valley by cable car. The maximum diameter is approx. 130 m.
Guckaisee		Rodholz , District of Fulda 50 ° 29 ′ 6 ″ N, 9 ° 55 ′ 20 ″ E	According to the Hessian State Office for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology, the Guckaisee was originally created by a landslide and damming of the Lütter stream. As a result, a leisure facility was built here. There are now two neighboring ponds with an area of ​​0.5 ha.

Flowing waters

Sole construction of sense in wild spots - no space for animals

Flood in the alluvial forest , Sinn , Rhön

Hydrology

Due to the pronounced terrain profile in the Rhön, flowing waters often have the character of a torrent with corresponding bed load dynamics . If they have not been built in or have been dismantled, they have the potential to constantly create new habitats such as gravel banks , bank breaks and alluvial forests through the relocation of bed load material . So have flood events such. B. when snowmelt and heavy rain events coincide, a considerable creative force for reshaping the landscape that accompanies the water.

ecology

Numerous communities have specialized in precisely these habitats, which are constantly changing and have become rare.

In the Rhön, gravel banks, which remain without vegetation due to constant relocation, are breeding grounds for little ringed plovers and common sandpipers .

The gravel gap system in the water is of particular ecological importance. It is called Hyporheic Interstitial and Benthal in limnology . Gravel beds with spaces in between without fine sediments are the spawning areas of salmonids and habitats of the freshwater pearl mussel , but also the lesser-known small fish such as tailors , brook loaches and mud whip are dependent on them. Many small organisms spend their entire existence in the gravel gap system. The entry of fine sediments (e.g. from agriculture or construction sites) fills in the gaps and thus destroys the habitat.

On steep bank crashes brooding dipper and the kingfisher digs its breeding tube.

Alluvial forests are dependent on high groundwater levels and regular flooding. In the Rhön there are plant communities that mostly consist of black alder , ash , broken willow , balsam , golden star , milkweed , great nettle and burdock bedstraw . The native species of large balsam (don't touch me) is partially replaced by the neophyte glandular balsam .

Constructions

However, since rivers are often regulated by construction measures in order to limit their space requirements, these habitats have largely been lost or have shrunk to minimal remains. The vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the bank often represents the only remainder of the community of the former alluvial forest. Bank constructions are intended to prevent agricultural land from being lost during floods , and bed constructions reinforce their effect and turn the stream into a canal. Cross barriers often serve as weirs for small hydropower plants . In earlier times, the adjacent meadows were also watered in this way in spring. These transverse structures often represent an insurmountable obstacle for migratory aquatic life.

Flood management

In the meantime, the water management authorities have come to realize that an excessive expansion of flowing waters leads to ever higher flood peaks. Wherever possible, the streams and rivers are given more space. The removal of bank and sole reinforcements prevents the water body from deepening and makes it easier to flood neighboring areas. There is hardly any damage to meadows and pastures . Riparian forests are ideal for this strategy . With this type of natural flood protection , the water can stay longer in the area, the runoff is delayed, the flood peaks are flattened and the formation of new groundwater is promoted.

beaver

The occurrence of the beaver, which has increased again in recent years, supports flood protection efforts. The intensive and free construction activity of the beavers causes a redesign of the floodplain landscape with the result that the water is retained and stays in the area for much longer. In this way, flood events are taken to the fore, and biodiversity also increases.

Projects for extensive grazing of the banks of rivers

Projects for extensive grazing of bank areas on rivers have shown that this form of use promotes the structural diversity of the water and thus also the diversity of species. Grazing with cattle that do not eat the forage plants too deeply promotes plant diversity. It was also found that cattle eat the glandular balsam and thus control its population. B. at the sense in Eckarts to Zeitlofs . The representation of the large cattle on the bank causes the desired breaking up of solidified bank structures. Relocation and bed load processes are favored, the hydromorphological dynamics and the water structure quality increase.

Water quality of flowing waters

Since there is little industrial agriculture in the area of ​​the Rhön and there is also little industry, the waters are predominantly in a comparatively good ecological condition. There are problems with seepage from potash heaps . In the past, there was also pollution of waters by explosive residues ( hexogen ) in the area of ​​the Wildflecken military training area .

Web links on water quality in the Rhön

• Water quality map of Thuringia

• Water quality map of Bavaria

• Hesse water quality map

List of flowing waters in the Rhön

Ordered according to the five river systems, starting in the north, then going clockwise:

Tributaries of the Werra

The Werra itself does not belong to the Rhön , but limits it in the northeast, therefore the following tributaries belonging to the Rhön are all orographically left.

Surname	picture	Municipality / location	description
Felda		Stadtlengsfeld , Dermbach , Neidhartshausen , Kaltennordheim , Erbenhausen , Wartburg district	The Felda rises in the Rhön and flows into the Werra as a left tributary after 42 km .
Ox		Oechsen , Wartburg district	The Oechse is a left tributary of the Werra . It rises in the Auersberger Kuppenrhön and flows into the Werra after 16 km at Vacha .
Herpf		Erbenhausen , Walldorf	The Herpf drains the eastern edge of the Thuringian Rhön in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district and flows into the Werra as a left tributary after 22 km .
Jüchse		Obendorf , Ober Maßfeld-Grimmenthal	The Jüchse rises northwest of the small Gleichberg in the district of Schmalkalden-Meiningen and flows after 14.5 km as a left tributary into the Werra .
Bibra		Wolfmannshausen , Rentwertshausen , Ritschenhausen	The Bibra rises on the northern slope of the Höhnhügel south of Wolfmannshausen near the Thuringian-Bavarian border and flows north in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district . After 12.7 km it flows into the Jüchse as a left tributary .
Katza		Oberkatz , Wasungen	The Katza rises on the northern slope of the Diesburg in the Vorderrhön in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district , flows 15 km to the northeast and flows into the Werra as a left tributary .

Ulster with tributaries

Surname	picture	Municipality / location	description
Ulster		Ehrenberg , Philippsthal	As the most central river of the Rhön, it rises north of the Heidelstein . The source is accessed by a hiking trail. The Ulster flows through the district of Fulda , the Wartburg district and the district of Hersfeld-Rotenburg . After 57 km it flows into the Werra at Philippsthal .
Geisa		Geisa , Geismar , Spahl , Wartburg district	The Geisa rises in the Rößberg nature reserve and flows north. In the urban area of Geisa it flows into the Ulster .
Taffeta		Eiterfeld , Buttlar , Wenigentaft , Fulda district , Wartburg district	The Taft rises in the Hessian Kegelspiel near the municipality of Eiterfeld , flows into the Wartburg district at Buttlar and flows into the Ulster after 11.7 km at Wenigentaft .
Pasture		Oberweid , Tann	The Anze, the Landgrafen River and the Weidbach all rise on the northern slope of the Rhönwald nature reserve. They unite in Oberweid and in future will flow together as pasture over 10 km through the district of Schmalkalden-Meiningen and then flow into the Ulster as a tributary on the right in the Tann district in the Fulda district .

Franconian Saale with tributaries

The Saale borders the Rhön in the southeast, therefore the tributaries belonging to the Rhön are all orographically to the right:

Surname	picture	Municipality / location	description
Franconian Saale		Bad Königshofen , Bad Neustadt , Bad Kissingen , Hammelburg , Gemünden	The Franconian Saale is a 140 km long river that separates the Rhön from the grave field on the southeastern edge . It is the largest right tributary of the Main . The estuary is located a little downstream after the union with the Sinn in the urban area of Gemünden . Numerous neighboring communities have been damaged by floods in the past. The Bad Kissingen water management office has taken measures to restore the river to more space and to delay the flow of water in terms of renaturation.
Brend		Gersfeld , Bad Neustadt	The Brend rises between the Simmelsberg and the Himmeldunk in the Hessian-Bavarian border area. The first 180 m of the stream are still in the Gersfeld district in the Fulda district . The remaining 30 km are in the Rhön-Grabfeld district up to the confluence as a right tributary into the Franconian Saale .
Ice rift		Hausen , Nordheim in front of the Rhön	The Eisgraben has its origin in the Hessian-Bavarian border area in the area of ​​the Long Rhön . It is in hydrological exchange with the Black Moor . The headwaters are in the Hausen district . After 10.8 km the Eisgraben flows into the Streu as a right tributary in the district of Nordheim vor der Rhön .
Els		Oberelsbach , Unsleben	The Els rises in the municipality of Oberelsbach in the Langen Rhön and flows 22 km through the district of Rhön-grave field in order to Unsleben as a right tributary to the stray lead to.
Premich		Premich (Burkardroth) , Steinach (Bad Bocklet)	On its short route of only 6.2 km, the Premich is created by the confluence of the Kellersbach and Kleiner Steinach in Premich to Burkardroth . At Steinach it flows into the Franconian Saale as a right tributary .
Litter		Melpers , Fladungen , hay litter	The headwaters of the Streu are located in the nature reserve Rhönkopf - Streufelsberg between Frankenheim / Rhön and Erbenhausen . It flows 42 km in the north-eastern area of ​​the Rhön in a south-easterly direction to flow into the Saale in Heustreu as a right tributary .
volume up		Forest window , Oberthulba	The Lauter rises from the village pond of Waldfenster . It flows over 9 km in a southerly direction as a left tributary to the Thulba . The estuary is in Oberthulba .
Thulba		Geroda , Hammelburg	The Thulba rises on the southwestern edge of the Black Mountains nature reserve north of the municipality of Geroda . After 27.2 km it flows into the Saale as a right tributary . It remains in the Bad Kissingen district along its entire length .
Schondra		Schondra , Graefendorf	The Schondra rises between the municipalities of Geroda and Schondra a few meters north of the A7 motorway. It flows in a south-westerly direction, and after crossing federal highway 27 in a north-west direction. The lower Schondratal is designated as a nature reserve. The Schondra is one of the cleanest rivers in Bavaria. Since it flows through the forest over long stretches, hardly any fine sediments or nutrients from agriculture are brought in. The water quality mostly corresponds to class 1. After 31.3 km the Schondra flows into the Saale as a right tributary at Gräfendorf .

Sense with tributaries

Surname	picture	Municipality / location	description
sense		Wildflecken , Gemünden	The source of the sense with the name Weihersbrunnen lies in the saddle between Arnsberg and Kreuzberg in the district of Bischofsheim . The area is called sense headwaters and Arnsberg southern slope as conservation area reported. The first village on their 69.4 km long route is the Wildflecken market . At Gemünden it flows as the largest and right tributary into the Franconian Saale - 700 m before it flows into the Main .
Oberbach		Oberbach (Wildflecken)	The Oberbach gathers in an extensive swamp on the western flank of the saddle between Totnansberg and Feuerberg. The area is part of the Black Mountains nature reserve . After the Oberbach has taken up the Züntersbach coming from the right halfway to the northwest, it flows into the Sinn after approx. 4.6 km in Oberbach to Wildflecken as a left tributary . The section up to the mouth of the village was completely expanded with massive fortifications after floods caused considerable damage in the past.
Disbach		Riedenberg	The Disbach rises on the southern flank of the Kleiner Auersberg in the Wildflecken military training area . Most of the route leads through forest. After the Disbach takes the Hirschgraben from the left, it flows past the sandstone formations of the "Lange Steine". In the area of ​​the Röderhof, a mill stream is branched off, with which a small hydropower plant is operated. After about 4 km of Disbach as a right tributary flows directly under the motorway bridge the A7 in the sense .
Small sense		Kothen , Altengronau	In Bavaria Kleine, called Schmale Sinn in Hesse , the river has its source in the area of ​​the Wildflecken military training area on the southeast slope of Dammersfeld . After 27.6 km it flows into the Sinn as a right tributary in the area of ​​the Sinnwiesen nature reserve .

Fulda with tributaries

Surname	picture	Municipality / location	description
Fulda		Gersfeld , Fulda	The Fulda spring at the Wasserkuppe is listed as a geotope by the Hessian State Office for Environment and Geology, with at least two sources. In its further course of 220 km to the north, it flows past cities such as Bad Hersfeld and Kassel . At Hannoversch-Münden it unites with the Werra to form the Weser . It is named for the nature reserve Auenverbund Fulda.
Dollbach		Motten , Döllbach (Eichenzell)	The origin of the Döllbach lies on the western edge of the Haderwald nature reserve in the Wildflecken military training area . First it flows through the Bad Kissingen district , then after 23.5 km in the Fulda district near Kerzell it flows into the Fliede as a right tributary . The Döllbach is part of the nature reserve Auenverbund Fulda.
Beaver		Poppenhausen , Hofbieber	The Bieber rises in the area between Wasserkuppe and Milseburg . At Mittelberg zu Hofbieber it flows into the Traisbach. The common confluence with the Haune is only 400 m away . The Bieber has a length of 16.3 km. Together with the Traisbach it forms a left tributary to the Haune . It is the namesake of some of the villages along the route: Hofbieber , Langenbieber , Niederbieber, and the Bieberstein mountain .
Haune		Dietershausen , Bad Hersfeld	The 66.5 km long Haune rises near the village of Dietershausen in the Hessische Rhön Nature Park , district of Fulda . It is also part of the nature reserve Auenverbund Fulda. At Marbach it is dammed up to form the Haunetalsperre . In Bad Hersfeld in the district of Hersfeld-Rotenburg it flows into the Fulda as a right tributary .
Haunestausee		Marbach (Petersberg) , District of Fulda 50 ° 37 ′ 2 ″ N, 9 ° 44 ′ 10 ″ E	The nature reserve "Haunestausee bei Marbach" is located approx. 6 km northeast of Fulda . The northern part is used for leisure activities, the southern part is under nature protection . The area is also part of the Fulda floodplain network. The dam is primarily used for flood protection .
Lütter		Poppenhausen , Lütter	The 17.5 km long Lütter rises above the Guckaisee in Poppenhausen (Wasserkuppe) in the Hessische Rhön Nature Park , Fulda district . It lies almost entirely in the Rhön Biosphere Reserve . In Lütter it flows into the Fulda as a right tributary .
Nüst		Hilders , Hünfeld	The 22 km long right tributary of the Haune rises about 1 km southwest of the village of Unterbernhards . The mouth is on the southern edge of Hünfeld . The community network Nüsttal in the Hessian Vorderrhön is named after the river .
Wetness		Hofbieber , Nüsttal	The moisture arises on the eastern flank of the Hohlstein (685 m) in the area of ​​the Milseburger Kuppenrhön north of the municipality of Oberbernhards zu Hilders . After 12.3 km it flows into the Nüst near Rimmels .
Schmalnau		Rommers , Schmalnau	The Schmalnau rises in the Haderwald nature reserve in the north of the Wildflecken military training area in the Rommers zu Gersfeld district . There it is also called "Rommerser Wasser". On its only 10.7 km long route it takes up the Gichenbach and flows into the Fulda in Ebersburg as a left tributary .

Rhön watershed

The Hohe Rhön acts as a watershed between the Rhine and Weser river systems . All waters flowing south from the Rhön flow into the Main and the Rhine via Sinn or Saale .

All waters flowing to the north flow into the Weser via Fulda or Werra .

Flow to the south and thus into the Rhine: Streu , Brend , Schondra , Lauter , Thulba , Premich , Els , Eisgraben , Sinn , Schmale Sinn and Saale .

To the north and thus into the Weser : Fulda , Ulster , Taft , Oechse , Geisa , Felda , Schmalnau , Nässe , Nüst , Haune , Bieber , Döllbach , Weid , Katza , Jüchse , Herpf and Bibra .

Moors

Moors form in cool and permanently wet locations. When the input of organic matter exceeds the possibility of rotting , peat forms . Non-rotting plant material represents an important carbon sink . Therefore, peatlands play a particularly important role in the carbon cycle and thus in global warming .

If this process takes place below the groundwater level , it is called a fen . Fens are often rich in nutrients and provide a habitat for nutrient-loving plants. Typical communities are alder forests and reed beds . At the transitions to wet meadows are found in the Rhoen often Hochstaudenfluren with meadowsweet , cabbage thistle and marsh valerian .

If more and more plant material is deposited in the course of time, the surface of the moor bulges in the shape of a watch glass. One then speaks of a raised bog . The peat is now above the water table . It can no longer be kept moist by the groundwater . The raised bog is fed exclusively by rainwater . At this stage the moor is acidic and poor in nutrients. Few specialized plant species can cope with these conditions. The further development of peat and thus the further growth of the bog is mainly due to peat moss . Other typical plants of the raised bogs in the Rhön are cotton grass , sundew and cranberries .

There are two well-known larger moors in the Rhön : The Black Moor and the Red Moor . In addition, on the Stirnberg in the Langen Rhön there are the Great and Small Moor, as well as the Moorlein, partly on the Hessian and partly on the Bavarian side. The Stedtlinger Moor and the Petersee can be found in the Thuringian Kuppenrhön.

The moor camps in the therapeutic baths of the Rhön are also interesting for botanists . Although the use of natural moor has usually been replaced by the mud pack method , the old natural moor storage areas still exist in Bad Kissingen , Bad Bocklet and Bad Brückenau , some with vegetation typical of high moorland .

High moors in particular are threatened. In the past, the areas in the Rhön were reduced significantly through peat removal and drainage . Today it is the nutrient input through precipitation that damages the vegetation typical of raised bogs, which specializes in nutrient-poor conditions. Main cause of nitrogen emissions are nitrogen oxide - emissions from internal combustion engines .

Black moor

Black Moor (Bohlenweg)

Black Moor (Moorteich)

The Black Moor is part of the Lange Rhön nature reserve in the border triangle near Hesse and Thuringia on the Bavarian side. It is listed as one of the most beautiful geotopes in Bavaria and is accordingly set up for tourism. A parking lot at Hochrhönstraße 50 ° 31 '26 "N, 10 ° 4' 23" O . There begins a hiking trail with a Knüppeldamm, which leads to all important points, including the Moorauge , a small pond in the moor and an observation tower.

The approx. 60 hectare black moor is located on the basalt plateau of the Langen Rhön in a slope depression with a barrier layer of clay over which the rainwater collects. It shows all stages of bog formation from the low bog to the raised bog. The thickness of the peat layer is up to eight meters in places. The black moor is hydrologically connected to the ice trench , which drains it on the surface and feeds it deep down.

Since the Black Moor was placed under nature protection as early as 1939, human interference has so far been relatively minor and its natural character has largely been preserved.

→ Main article : Black moor

Red moor

Rotes Moor - Hessian Rhön

The Rote Moor is located 1.5 km west of the Heidelstein in the Hessian Rhön. With 50 hectares, it is the second largest moor in the Rhön and one of two raised bogs in Hesse. It is part of the nature reserve named after him , the Rhön Biosphere Reserve and Natura 2000 .

The red moor is accessible to tourists. A parking lot is available at Bundesstraße 278. The "Nabu-Haus am Roten Moor" information center is also located there. 50 ° 27 ′ 38 ″ N, 9 ° 59 ′ 4 ″ E A hiking and information path starts from the parking lot and leads to an information pavilion and the observation tower.

In contrast to the Black Moor, the Red Moor was massively damaged by peat extraction. The peat extraction was only stopped in 1984. However, renaturation measures began as early as 1979. These consisted primarily of damming and rewetting, and partly also of clearing the bog areas that were already overgrown due to drying out.

As with the Black Moor, the Red Moor lies on a basalt hollow with a clay barrier layer. It is fed exclusively by rainwater, so it has no inflow. It is drained by the moor water, later moor stream, which flows south and flows into the Brend together with the Schwarzbach as Leutenau in Bischofsheim in the Rhön .

→ Main article : Rotes Moor (Rhön)

Stedtlinger Moor and Petersee

Stedtlinger Moor

The nature reserve Bischofswaldung with Stedtlinger Moor , in which the Petersee is also located, belongs to the municipality of Rhönblick in the district of Schmalkalden-Meiningen . The Stedtlinger Moor ha an area of 2.7 ha, the Petersee of 3.1. In contrast to the aforementioned Mooren, Stedtlinger Moor and Petersee be as sedimentation Moor designated. When it was created, the initial situation was a nutrient-poor lake, which was created as a sinkhole by washing out Zechstein salts and filling it with rainwater. The lakes are sealed against the red sandstone subsoil with an impermeable layer. Over time, they were filled with plant material, and peat moss grew from the edges . On the Stedtlinger Moor today a 30 cm thick layer of vibrating grass floats on the surface of the water. In the central area, raised bog-like structures have already developed. Accordingly, there is typical vegetation with deciduous cotton grass , common cranberries and round-leaved sundew . Birch quarry forest and Scots pine bog forest follow. Stedtlinger Moor and Petersee have been under nature protection since 1940, and are FFH and Natura 2000 areas .

swell

Sources represent the interface between the groundwater and the flowing water . It is a very special habitat ( Krenal ), which differs from both of the above. Characteristic features are low oxygen content, low nutrient content, constant temperature - as with groundwater. In contrast to this, there is also the influence of light and thus plant growth. Some springs have a constant pouring over the year , others only carry water at certain times, usually in spring. In the Rhön dialect there is the special term "Märzenquelle" for this phenomenon.

In the Rhön we have an endemic species that is tied to this habitat: the Rhön spring snail . But more widespread species are also at home here, such as alpine vortex worms , cave shrimp and copepods . Animal species from neighboring habitats also occur at sources, namely the larvae of the various fly species and those of the fire salamander , as well as the river flea shrimp .

Typical components of the vegetation at springs in the Rhön are the marsh marigold and the white butterbur .

The spring as a habitat is threatened, the number of springs and their ecological quality has declined sharply in the Rhön. There are several reasons for that:

• sinking water table

• Mythical-emotional exaggeration and romantic expansion of spring versions (Fulda spring, Ulster spring)
• Obstacle in the agricultural or forestry use of the area concerned, relocation of drainage.
• Use as a cattle trough
• Creation of fish ponds or amphibious pools

As a habitat, sources are fundamentally under nature protection ( Federal Nature Conservation Act § 30 Paragraph 2 No. 2). In order to be able to guarantee legal protection in practice, it is first necessary to know about the existence of each individual source. That is why sources in Rhön and Vogelsberg are mapped by the State Association for Cave and Karst Research Hessen eV. As of November 2020, 3662 source locations have already been recorded and categorized according to various criteria.

Groundwater

From a geological point of view, the Rhön lies in the area of ​​the south-west German layer level country . The upcoming overburden are red sandstone and shell limestone . There are therefore predominantly fissured solid rock aquifers , in the high areas also as volcanic fissured aquifers ( basalt cover). The groundwater in the Rhön traditionally has a high productivity. However, due to the flow-effective fissures, the cleaning effect of the aquifer is rather low. The groundwater in the Rhön is therefore susceptible to contamination. In Hesse and Bavaria in particular , many municipalities obtain their drinking water from local groundwater resources in the form of springs and wells . Always pay attention to entries from agriculture and industry. The designation of water protection areas is of particular importance.

Significance of climate change for the waters of the Rhön

According to the research results of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research , less precipitation is not necessarily to be expected in the Rhön's climate in the coming years , but the summer dry phases will be longer. The precipitation comes more often in the form of heavy rain events . The little rainfall in summer evaporates back into the atmosphere , the heavy rain flows off as surface water because the soil can only absorb limited water in a short time. This has a negative effect on the formation of new groundwater . The groundwater levels have already dropped significantly.

For all surface waters it is to be expected that during summer heat waves the water temperatures rise unusually and the oxygen content becomes unusually low. That would lead to a shift in the composition of animal and plant species. Species that are adapted to low temperatures and high oxygen saturation drop out and are replaced by other species.

While an increased occurrence of extreme flood events is not likely, extreme low water levels in the rivers in late summer must be expected.

The lowering of the water table will lead to further disappearance of springs.

The peat bogs will partially dry out, as a result of which air will get to the organic material deposited in the bog, it will decompose under the addition of oxygen, and large amounts of greenhouse gases will increasingly arise .

So far, large cities in the area around the Rhön have obtained their drinking water from there via network networks such as the Rhön-Maintal Group. The extent to which this will be possible in the future is the subject of research.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Thuringian State Office for the Environment, Mining and Nature Conservation: Register of Thuringian Dams. In: https://tlubn.thueringen.de/wasser/seen-und-talsperren/stauanlagenaufsicht . Thuringian State Office for the Environment, Mining and Nature Conservation, January 20, 2020, accessed on March 18, 2021 . 
2. ↑ Bavaria's most beautiful geotopes - LfU Bavaria. Retrieved March 18, 2021 . 
3. ↑ https://geoportal.bayern.de/bayernatlas/?x=VP*mczKC-wjoN2cQ7WWDj2dsDo8I7JoGNQMgIhhf37q554L-RkkBlOPacY9p6nmaU3wzmir0CyxRN2e9d1HnRcKg4uI1CqNJ5THLKek7x1I&lang=de&topic=ba&catalogNodes=11,122&bgLayer=atkis&E=574791.94&N=5589806.16&zoom=13&layers=KML%7C%7Chttps:%2F% 2Fgeoportal.bayern.de% 2Fba-backend% 2Ffiles% 2Ff_d5bdd660-7fd2-11eb-9b8c-61fb327e542c_609f69f6-3f39-41aa-b488-560f5946bc9e
4. ↑ https://geoportal.bayern.de/bayernatlas/?x=VP*mczKC-wjoN2cQ7WWDj2dsDo8I7JoGNQMgIhhf37q554L-RkkBlOPacY9p6nmaU3wzmir0CyxRN2e9d1HnRcKg4uI1CqNJ5THLKek7x1I&lang=de&topic=ba&catalogNodes=11,122&bgLayer=atkis&E=572548.34&N=5586395.85&zoom=14&layers=KML%7C%7Chttps:%2F% 2Fgeoportal.bayern.de% 2Fba-backend% 2Ffiles% 2Ff_5d42b510-7e48-11eb-8dbd-e17fd88138ac_b8644242-de34-4921-b907-4d44ef1b51e7
5. ↑ https://geoportal.bayern.de/bayernatlas/?x=VP*mczKC-wjoN2cQ7WWDj2dsDo8I7JoGNQMgIhhf37q554L-RkkBlOPacY9p6nmaU3wzmir0CyxRN2e9d1HnRcKg4uI1CqNJ5THLKek7x1I&lang=de&topic=ba&catalogNodes=11,122&bgLayer=atkis&E=579973.08&N=5578362.19&zoom=13&layers=KML%7C%7Chttps:%2F% 2Fgeoportal.bayern.de% 2Fba-backend% 2Ffiles% 2Ff_8b915370-809d-11eb-8dbd-e17fd88138ac_459f27d8-29b4-4759-a62f-a3916d46d225
6. ↑ Basaltsee Ink Bottle on Farnsberg - Berghaus Rhön. Retrieved April 15, 2021 . 
7. ↑ https://badeseen.hlnug.de/hauptnavigation/badegewaesser/fulda/guckaisee
8. ↑ Friedl, F., Battisacco, E., Vonwiller, L., Fink, S., Vetsch, D., Weitbrecht, V., Franca, MJ, Scheidegger, Ch., Boes, R., Schleiss, A., : Bed load and habitat dynamics. In: Leaflet Collection Hydraulic Engineering and Ecology. Federal Office for the Environment FOEN, Bern. 84 p. Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Office of the Federal Department for the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication (DETEC), Switzerland., 2017, accessed on March 5, 2021 . 
9. ↑ ^{a b c} Prof. Dr. R. Knapp: The flora of the Rhön . Ed .: Parzeller & Co., Fulda. 2nd edition 1977. Parzeller & Co., Fulda 1970, ISBN 3-7900-0078-7 .
10. ↑ ^{a b} Measures on rivers and lakes - Bad Kissingen water management office. Retrieved March 18, 2021 . 
11. ↑ Sinnallianz - BUND Naturschutz in Bayern eV Accessed on March 8, 2021 . 
12. ↑ Beavers and flood protection. Retrieved March 18, 2021 . 
13. ↑ Flood protection. Retrieved March 18, 2021 (German). 
14. ↑ The beaver is back. Retrieved on March 18, 2021 (German). 
15. ↑ Biberwelten - BUND Naturschutz in Bayern eV Accessed on March 18, 2021 . 
16. ↑ GRASSING PROJECT RHÖN. BUND Naturschutz in Bayern eV KREISGRUPPE BAD KISSINGEN Ludwigstr. 20 97769 Bad Brückenau, accessed on April 21, 2021 . 
17. ↑ ECKHARD JEDICKE: Nature protection through extensive, extensive grazing - experience from the Rhön biosphere reserve. In: National Park Yearbook Unteres Odertal (9), 82-91. Association of Friends of the German-Polish European National Park Unteres Odertal eV National Park Foundation Unteres Odertal, September 28, 2012, accessed on March 18, 2021 . 
18. ↑ Online manual: Grazing of flowing water habitats. Retrieved March 18, 2021 . 
19. ↑ Online manual: Grazing of open land in medium-sized locations. Retrieved March 18, 2021 . 
20. ↑ Prof. Dr. EckhardJedicke, Dipl.Biol.KarlHeinzKolbundDipl.Ing.KatjaPreusche: Grassland protection and landscape development through extensive grazing in the Rhön biosphere reserve. In: Grassland Project Rhön - German Federal Environment Foundation. District of Rhön Grabfeld i. A. of ARGE Rhön, accessed on March 18, 2021 . 
21. ^ Thuringian State Office for the Environment, Mining and Nature Conservation: Water quality biology, nutrients and water structure | Thuringian State Office for the Environment, Mining and Nature Conservation. Retrieved March 18, 2021 . 
22. ↑ New search for explosives. January 11, 2000, accessed March 18, 2021 . 
23. ↑ H. Flick, A. Schraft: The Hessian Rhön - Geotopes in the land of open distances -. In: https://www.hlnug.de/publikationen . Hessian State Office for Environment and Geology, 2013, accessed on March 18, 2021 . 
24. ↑ ^{a b c d Regional} Council Kassel: Ordinance on the landscape protection area "Auenverbund Fulda" from January 18, 1993. In: https://rp-kassel.hessen.de . Kassel Regional Council, January 18, 1993, accessed on March 18, 2021 . 
25. ↑ Rhön Biosphere Reserve: Habitat water and moors. July 3, 2018, accessed March 15, 2021 . 
26. ↑ Dr. Marcus Schmidt, Dr. Peter Meyer (NW-FVA): Stirnberg. In: Portrait of Hessian Natural Forest Reserves. Northwest German Forest Research Institute (NW-FVA), Grätzelstr. 2, 37079 Göttingen, September 2016, accessed on March 18, 2021 . 
27. ↑ ^{a b} Dr. Ute Lange, Fulda: Moors of the Rhön . 1st edition 2010. Elmar Hahn Verlag, Veitshöchheim 2010, ISBN 978-3-928645-72-0 , pp. 96 .
28. ↑ Uwe Barth: Natural treasures of the Rhön: Hochmoore. In: Brochure series "Natural treasures of the Rhön". LIFE project Rhön of the EU; Propstei Zella, Goethestrasse 1, 36452 Zella / Rhön, 1997, accessed on March 26, 2021 . 
29. ↑ A bog that no one knows - PDF Free Download. Retrieved March 18, 2021 . 
30. ↑ Acid and nitrogen input | Hessian State Office for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology. Retrieved March 17, 2021 . 
31. ↑ ^{a b} Black Moor - LfU Bavaria. Retrieved March 18, 2021 . 
32. ↑ Julia Rösch: Black Moor Nature Trail. In: https://www.biosphaerenreservat-rhoen.de . Bavarian Administration Office Rhön Biosphere Reserve, 2016, accessed on March 18, 2021 . 
33. ↑ Habitat types | Hessian State Office for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology. Retrieved March 18, 2021 . 
34. ↑ Our hygiene rules. Retrieved on March 18, 2021 (German). 
35. ↑ The Red Moor. Retrieved on March 18, 2021 (German). 
36. ↑ The Red Moor. Retrieved on March 18, 2021 (German). 
37. ↑ BfN: Profiles of the Natura 2000 areas. Retrieved March 25, 2021 . 
38. ↑ Susann Schleip: Management planning (technical article open land) for the FFH area No. 105 "NSG Bischofswaldung with Stedtlinger Moor". INL Engineering Office for Nature Conservation and Landscape Planning - Susann Schleip Mühlberger Straße 22 D-99869 Drei Gleichen / OT Wandersleben, August 23, 2020, accessed on March 25, 2021 . 
39. ↑ ^{a b c} Stefan Zaenker (Fulda), Dr. Martin Reiss (Marburg): Sources of the Rhön. In: https://www.biosphaerenreservat-rhoen.de . Hessian Administration Office for the Rhön Biosphere Reserve, Fulda District, Specialized Service Biosphere Reserve and Hessian Rhön Nature Park, 2018, accessed on March 18, 2021 . 
40. ^ Sources of the Rhön. Retrieved March 18, 2021 . 
41. ↑ ^{a b} Worth knowing | RMG-Poppenhausen. Accessed March 17, 2021 (German). 
42. ↑ Climate data and scenarios for protected areas: Select protected area. Retrieved March 17, 2021 . 
43. ↑ Alana Steinbauer & Holger Komischke, Bavarian State Office for the Environment: Climate Change in Southern Germany Changes in meteorological and hydrological parameters. In: Climate monitoring as part of the KLIWA cooperation. KLIWA working group, 2016, accessed on March 17, 2021 . 
44. ↑ water | Hessian State Office for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology. Retrieved March 17, 2021 . 
45. ↑ Stefan Zaenker (Fulda), Dr. Martin Reiss (Marburg): Sources of the Rhön A threatened and protected habitat. In: https://www.biosphaerenreservat-rhoen.de/ . Hessian Administration Office for the Rhön Biosphere Reserve, Fulda District Technical Service Biosphere Reserve and Hessische Rhön Nature Park, Wasserkuppe 8 36129 Gersfeld, 2018, accessed on March 17, 2021 . 
46. ↑ HLNUG: For World Soil Day: Hessian Soils in Climate Change. Retrieved on March 17, 2021 (German). 
47. ↑ admin_sw: Stadtwerke Schweinfurt | Water network in Lower Franconia. Retrieved on March 17, 2021 (German). 
48. ↑ Rhön Biosphere Reserve: details page. April 10, 2018, accessed March 17, 2021 . 
49. ↑ Goethe University - Climate Change in the Rhön Biosphere Reserve: Participatory Risk Assessment and Adaptation (KlimaRhön). Retrieved March 17, 2021 .