The Nérac ponds

The Nérac ponds are located in the municipalities of Altenach and Saint-Ulrich in the Sundgau. Dating from the 5th century, this set of 70 ponds, about twenty hectares, constitutes a transitional environment between the beech forest and cultivated fields. Operated until the 1990s, they were then sold to the Haut-Rhin General Council in the early 4s. Their size and lack of maintenance for several years allowed them to evolve towards greater naturalness, despite their typical morphology of Sundgau fishing ponds. Thus, their steep banks only allowed the installation of a thin curtain of riverine vegetation. Only pond n ° XNUMX had a large reed bed. In addition, the constant water levels and the very low diversity of habitats were not conducive to the exploitation of ponds by a variety of fauna.

However, the ornithological monitoring carried out on this site has shown that more than a hundred species of birds use the Nérac ponds, either to nest there or for migratory stopovers. Rare species, such as the penduline remiz, the osprey, the harrier harrier or the common crane have been observed there. In addition, their location between the edge of the forest and openfield gave them significant potential for welcoming biodiversity.

A guidebook available at the Maison de la Nature du Sundgau located in Altenach or at the Tourist Office offers you a walk of 2h-2h30 to discover this site conducive to bird watching.