In Franconian Switzerland, within a few days, nature conservationists have discovered two natural outrages on strictly protected streams that have caused the loss of habitats for highly endangered species such as the fire salamander or the Starknervmoos. The latter is a special kind of moss that forms three to five centimeters high, yellow-green or yellow-brown, blanket-like lawn. Both cases happened just three kilometers apart in the municipality of Eggolsheim in western Franconian Switzerland. The outrage is great. Helmut Beran, managing director of the nature conservation association LBV, speaks of “systematic destruction”. The association has filed criminal charges in both cases.
The current sacrilege concerns a nameless spring stream on the edge of the long mile. This is a steep slope near the Eggolsheim district of Drügendorf. The spring outlet on the slope had been contained by a pipe for years, which, according to Beran, should have been removed long ago for reasons of nature conservation. Now the exact opposite has happened. “Unknowns have excavated parts of the slope and instead piled heavy stones on it in a stair-like manner,” reports the LBV. The pipe now ends in an iron trough reminiscent of an oversized flower pot.
Valuable sinter terraces have been cleared aside
The damage caused by the intervention primarily affects the sinter terraces at the foot of the spring. They have been cleared aside. Sinter terraces are deposits of porous tufa or sinter in a stream. Compared to stalactites, for example, they form relatively quickly. Nevertheless, it takes many decades to grow up. The rock formations ensure that the water in the respective stream does not drain off as quickly and contains a comparatively large amount of oxygen. These are exactly the conditions that the larvae of the fire salamander need to grow up. The amphibians are in acute danger of extinction. The Free State has therefore started a species aid program for them. The habitats of the fire salamanders are currently being mapped during this move. According to Beran, the outrage on nature was discovered in the process. The LBV man fears that in the course of further mapping, similar destruction will be discovered on other streams with sinter terraces.
Only a week and a half ago, volunteers from the LBV and the Federal Nature Conservation Agency reported a comparable case from the same municipality. During dredging work on the Eggersbach, about 25 meters of the course of the stream were straightened and channeled – also without considering the ecologically extremely valuable sinter terraces and pools in the water. Both the Eggersbach and the source stream near Drügendorf are under strict protection under German and European nature conservation law. Because sinter terraces are very rare in Bavarian waters. The Eggerbach is therefore even classified as a natural monument.