Knüppeldamm Weyrichsbruch

The Ruwer originates in the heights of the Hunsrück (660 m above sea level) in the Osburg High Forest. Its sources lie in the forest between Kell, Reinsfeld, and Osburg, approximately 3 km north of Kell at the lake. The Weyrichsbruch, which is located in the municipality of Osburg, is one of the remaining natural, well-preserved spring bogs of the Hunsrück, covering around 6.5 hectares.

The wooden dam is a walkway that crosses the almost 7 ha spring bog of Weyrichsbruch and serves both hikers and nature lovers alike to sustainably explore this refuge without having to step on the valuable biotope extensively. It is located near the Rösterkopf between Holzerath and Kell am See in the municipality of Osburg.

Until the 18th century, the quartzite ridges that rise over the high plateaus were surrounded by a ring of spring or slope bogs. These were naturally forested. To achieve better forestry use of such small bogs, efforts were intensified in the Hunsrück, as elsewhere, to drain them—though not always successfully. Spring bogs with an intact water balance have therefore become extremely rare. Because they provide habitat for a variety of rare or increasingly rare plants and animals, they are of high protection priority and are also protected by law.
To form spring bogs, several conditions must be met: Sufficient spring water must ooze out year-round from the rock layers that store and conduct precipitation. This occurs where the water encounters water-retaining layers. Below these spring horizons, certain bog plants can then build up peat layers that can be several meters thick.
The quartzite waters are extremely low in minerals. Since the water flows slowly through the peat body, there is only a limited supply of nutrients required by plants. Therefore, the vegetation of Weyrichsbruch and other spring bogs in the Hunsrück primarily consists of relatively undemanding plants.
Moore birch forests with trees up to 140 years old still exist today on larger areas in Weyrichsbruch. In the undergrowth, the reed canary grass predominates. Between its tufts, extensive cushions of peat moss can still be found. In particularly waterlogged areas that are therefore free of trees, one can find cotton grass, bog bilberry, and round-leaved sundew (source: https://kulturdb.de).

To make this biotope experienceable, the wooden dam, a 340-meter long walkway, was built. It serves both hikers and nature lovers alike to sustainably explore this refuge without having to step on the valuable biotope extensively. It is part of various regional hiking trails as well as the premium hiking trail Saar-Hunsrück-Steig.

The wooden dam has a long tradition, as a walkway was first built here in 1968/1969, which was later complemented by an observation platform and continually renewed in the following decades to provide nature lovers with insights into the bog. In 2023/2024, a complete renovation was planned to ensure the safety of this popular walkway among hikers and individuals interested in biotope development in the spring bog. The renovation was carried out from November 2023 to April 2024 by the path caretaker of the recreation area, Timo Zink, together with employees and trainees from the Hochwald Forestry Office. A total of approximately 67 cubic meters of oak and larch wood were needed for the renovation. The project, with total costs of around €78,000, could only be realized thanks to an 80% subsidy from the Saar-Hunsrück Nature Park and the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Additionally, as part of this renovation measure, the Nature and Environment Foundation Rheinland-Palatinate enhanced the area with information pillars and information cubes.

An informational flyer was also created as part of this, documenting the history and development of Weyrichsbruch. This flyer is available, among other places, at the tourist information center and the administration of the Ruwer association municipality, as well as at the entrance to the wooden dam in an information box.