Schneifel

Background

The Schneifel is located in the Eifel low mountain range and includes peat-influenced headwater ecosystems with wet forests and bog-heath habitats. These landscapes are important natural sponge areas because they retain water, reduce rapid runoff, and provide valuable habitats for specialised wetland biodiversity.

The Problem

Like many upland wetland systems in Central Europe, the Schneifel has been affected by historical drainage and land-use change, especially forest conversion and drainage measures associated with spruce management. These alterations have reduced the area's natural water retention capacity, changed hydrological dynamics, and contributed to the degradation of peatland and wetland habitats.

Restoration efforts

In the Schneifel, restoration efforts focus on rewetting and improving natural hydrological conditions in the catchment. The measures are implemented jointly by Forstamt Prüm and the Moorschutzprogramm des Landes Rheinland-Pfalz, coordinated through the Stiftung Natur und Umwelt Rheinland-Pfalz (SNU) as part of a project of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate. Current actions include the blocking of drainage ditches and forestry interventions aimed at promoting the development of wetter, more resilient forest and peatland conditions.

Within SpongeBoost, RWTH Aachen University supports this process through hydrological monitoring and modelling. At the catchment outlet, a monitoring station is used to derive discharge from measured water level and flow velocity data, providing the basis for hydrological modelling. In addition, precipitation data are obtained from a nearby DWD weather station, and soil moisture monitoring will soon be installed within the catchment. Together, these data help to better understand runoff dynamics and assess how restoration measures can strengthen the site's sponge functions, such as water retention, flow regulation, and climate resilience.