Top 20 Natural Monuments around Saterland

The approximately 75-hectare nature reserve „Aper Tief“ is located south of the river of the same name between Apen and Augustfehn in the Ammerland district. Through a spectacular dike relocation in 2005, a unique, tide-dependent floodplain landscape with the only freshwater mudflat in the northwest was created here.

Aper Tief The Aper Tief is a natural river in the municipality of Apen. Coming from the east, it flows through the farming communities of Hengstforde, Vreschen Bokel and Holtgast, from where it merges into the Jümme. Two retention areas were created along the river, which have become a fantastic nature reserve. The connection of the Aper Tief with the Jümme, Leda and Ems as far as the North Sea means that the tides are noticeable in this area with a tidal range of 60 to 120 cm. While hiking or cycling, discover the freshwater mudflats in Hengstforde and the floodplain landscape in Holtgast with its diverse birdlife. Anglers will also find excellent conditions here.

Due to the topographical conditions, most of the pumping stations are located in the northwestern part of the Ammerländer Wasseracht association area.

The Aper Tief is a small river in the Lower Saxony municipalities of Apen in the district of Ammerland and Detern in the joint municipality of Jümme in the district of Leer.

The Aper Tief is a small river in the Lower Saxony municipalities of Apen in the district of Ammerland and Detern in the joint municipality of Jümme in the district of Leer.

You can rest well at the tower and have a beautiful view of the Aper-Tief.

It was nice to cycle along here, there is always something to watch left and right 👀.

The nature reserve with the designation NSG WE 221 is 75 hectares in size. It has been under nature protection since December 17, 1994. The responsible lower nature conservation authority is the Ammerland district. The nature reserve is located south of the Aper Tief between the towns of Apen and Augustfehn in the municipality of Apen in the Ammerland district. It is bordered to the east by the district road 120 and to the west by the Norderloher Canal. In the south of the nature reserve is the dike of the Aper Tief, which was moved from the bank of the Tief to a road running south of it in 2005. Before the dike line was moved back, there were grassland and wet meadows here, which were crossed by oxbows of the Aper Tief. The grassland was mainly used for mowing. After the dike line was moved back, the areas between the Aper Tief and the dike are subject to the natural river dynamics and are partially flooded at high tide. This creates a river floodplain landscape with river mudflats, floodplain forests and wet biotopes. The areas also serve as flood protection. Reed beds, including cattails, water swaths, reed canary grass and sedge marshes, are spreading on the waterlogged areas. The nature reserve is home to laurel willow, prostrate St. John's wort, marsh marigold, greater burnet, water ragwort, water sedge, needle marsh rush, bristly marsh rush and thread rush, among others. The nature reserve is home to numerous bird species, including black-tailed godwit, common snipe and redshank. The nature reserve is also an important habitat for various insects, including ground beetles and dragonflies. In the south of the nature reserve there are two viewing platforms accessible from the road along the dyke, which can be used for nature observation. Another viewing point is located on a pumping station on the north bank of the Aper Tief near Augustfehn.