A former Neckar oxbow sheltering alder swamp forest and rare wetland birds in the Hessische Rheinebene.
Erlache bei Bensheim
Erlache bei Bensheim is a small nature reserve in the southern Hessian Ried, in the Landkreis Bergstraße of southwestern Germany. Set in the Hessische Rheinebene, the protected area follows a curved remnant of an ancient loop of the River Neckar, the so-called Altneckar, whose former channel now holds a small lake, wetland forest, reedbeds, and species-rich grassland.
The reserve protects a mosaic of wet woodland, open reedland, and open water habitats typical of the upper Rhine lowlands. Together with the neighbouring Tongrubengelände von Bensheim und Heppenheim, it forms part of the larger EU Birds Directive site known as the Hessische Altneckarschlingen, reflecting the regional importance of these old river bends for wetland-dependent wildlife.
Erlache bei Bensheim has become one of the most notable bird sites in Hessen, particularly for breeding white storks, marsh warblers, and several other wetland and woodland bird species. The combination of former river arm, floodplain forest, and active conservation management, including water buffalo grazing and tree clearing, gives the area a distinctive ecological character that contrasts with the heavily managed agricultural land and transport corridors around it.
