Hydrological rehabilitation of the Breitenmoos

The Breitenmoos is a bog in the FFH area "Moore im Wirlinger Wald" which is still intact in large parts and is home to numerous highly endangered, highly specialized species. The footpath and cycle path on the former railroad line Kempten-Isny touches the Breitenmoos, among others. A deep ditch was once dug along the railroad embankment to drain the edge of the mire. In some places, deep erosion gullies have formed over decades, and it was only a matter of time before they also drained the intact Schlenken complex of the bog. To prevent this, the Landscape Conservation Association dammed the ditch along the Breitenmoos with a chain of dams in autumn 2016. The Bavarian State Forests had previously removed the trees affected by the damming along the ditch. The resulting ponds raise the water level at the edge of the bog, serve as a habitat for amphibians and their predators and will silt-up over the years, creating new habitats for bog-specific species. The positive effects of this measure can be seen from the foot- and cycle path (Schwarzerd-Hellengerst section).