Steinhorst Basin

The Steinhorst Basin, an important waterfowl reserve in North Rhine-Westphalia, covers around 80 hectares and was established in 1990 as part of the European bird sanctuary "Rietberger Emsniederung mit Steinhorster Becken". This man-made biotope offers a diverse mosaic of shallow water areas, islands and wet grassland, which serves as an undisturbed refuge for numerous native and migratory waders and waterfowl. Species such as herons, cormorants and snipe birds find ideal conditions here for foraging and breeding. The diversity of species has increased over the years, particularly dragonflies, amphibians and plants that specialize in wetlands. A wide ring ditch protects the core zone of the nature reserve, while visitors have the opportunity to observe the birdlife undisturbed from the top of the dyke and an observation tower in the northern area.