Gehlsbach (river)

Gehlsbach
Gehlsbach near Klein Pankow
Data
Water code	DE : 592742
location	Germany, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania , Ludwigslust-Parchim district
River system	Elbe
Drain over	Elde  → Elbe  → North Sea
source	west of Ganzlin 53 ° 23 ′ 8 ″  N , 12 ° 14 ′ 23 ″  E
Source height	74.7  m above sea level HN
muzzle	as the river north of Groß Pankow in an oxbow lake of the Elde Coordinates: 53 ° 23 '23 "  N , 11 ° 58' 58"  E 53 ° 23 '23 "  N , 11 ° 58' 58"  E
Mouth height	46.1  m above sea level HN
Height difference	28.6 m
Bottom slope	1.2 ‰
length	23.5 km
Left tributaries	Seegraben, Basnisbach

The Gehlsbach is a tributary of the Elde in the south of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania .

course

The stream has its origin in a wetland with former peat cuttings west of the village of Ganzlin in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district , about five kilometers west of the southern tip of the Plauer See . The watercourse joins here with drainage ditches. In a westerly direction of flow, the meadows and fields of the municipal areas of Ganzlin and Gehlsbach are mainly crossed. The nature reserve Gehlsbachtal is reached southwest of Vietlübbe . The Seegraben , which is also under protection and drains the Quaßliner Moor, joins on the left . Further west, the near-natural Gehlsbach is the southern boundary of Kreien . In the municipality of Siggelkow , the watercourse forms river loops , takes up the runoff of the Blanksee , the Basnichbach, and approaches the Elde without flowing directly into it. In an artificial extension, the stream now runs parallel to the Elde on the left side under the name Der Strom . North of Groß Pankow this merges into an oxbow lake of the Elde, into which the Moosterbach flows after a short stretch .

In the entire course, a height difference of 28.6 meters is overcome. Including the river, the Gehlsbach is around 23.5 kilometers long.

history

The origin of the Gehlsbach is presumably a drainage track that ran in the sander area between the ice advances of the Brandenburg and Frankfurt stages of the Vistula Ice Age . At Darß and in the estuary area, there are bog areas that have also arisen from meltwater runoff.

The stream and its tributaries were used to operate water mills until the first half of the 20th century . Until 1953 peat was mined near the Blanken See. Since the 1970s, systems have been built near the towns of Klein Dammerow, Darß and Wilsen that took water from the water to irrigate agricultural areas. The pumps were operated until 1989. In 1987 a trout farm was opened in Wilsen . By dismantling a weir in Wilsen in 2000, the continuity for the aquatic fauna could be restored.

Gehlsbachtal nature reserve

The 249-hectare nature reserve has existed since October 1, 1990, was expanded on October 9, 1996 and includes the lower reaches of the Gehlsbach from the height of Vietlübbe, the lower reaches of the Seegraben with the Darßer Seewiesen, the lower reaches of a river from Klein Pankow Trench as well as the adjacent bank areas. The aim is to protect and develop the stream with rare animal and plant species.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Ministry of Environment Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (ed.): The nature reserves in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania , ISBN 3-910150-52-7 , p. 664