ing that the project is bearing fruit. The Reuss has got its meanders back, and the return of nature has benefited both plant and animal life. The delta boasts around 500 different species of plant. These include rare or protected species like marsh gentian, the subterranean clover and the Siberian iris. The wetlands are also home to reptiles. The marsh beds have been colonised by mussels and snails. Around 225 species of bird nest or stop over in this oasis. In the water itself, 30 species of fish have been identified, including river lampreys and lake trout, both highly endangered. Great diversity of wildlife The wildlife in the delta is drawing in many nature-lovers, says Bruno Imhof, the former sacristan at Altdorf and a visitor to the delta for 25 years. He has spotted some extremely rare birds here. In May 2023, he tells us, he saw a cattle egret, a migratory wader from Africa listed as endangered. In April of this year, he came across a damp, exhausted hoopoe on one of the islands of Lorelei. “It stayed on the island for three days to get its strength back,” says the Uri native, who is nonetheless concerned about the excessive numbers of visitors in summer. Renaturing has restored the delta to its historic role. As for the Reuss’s legendary floods, they will not destroy the delta, “since it will function as a submersible dam”, Giovanni De Cesare explains. A bit like the fable of the oak and the willow. Excavated material has been used to restore the Reuss delta, creating new habitats for plants and wildlife – as well as recreational space for people. Barges are now offloading the same material to create new shallow-water zones that are of particular benefit to fish. Photos: Keystone, Stéphane Herzog, seeschuettung.ch www.seeschuettung.ch www.reussdelta.ch 13
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