EU Special Protection Area
V64 Marshes at Jade Bay
Official protection status
Two landscape protection areas:
Marshes at Jade Bay – West: 2,974 ha
Marshes at Jade Bay – East: 4,515 ha
Land use in the Special Protection Area
70 % intensively farmed grassland
13 % arable land
5 % reeds and rushes
4 % grassland
4 % wetlands
2 % inland waters
2 % biotopes (reshaped)
State Agency for Bird Conservation
Im Dreieck 12
+49 (0) 441/95069-153
Rising sea levels, extreme storm tides, rising ground water levels and a maritime climate have contributed to the varied characteristics of the Jade Bay and its adjacent landscapes.
The areas inside the dikes of the Jade Bay and the land bordering on the national park of the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea are part of the bioregion "Wadden Sea and Marshes" and are characterised mainly by grassland utilisation. Only small clusters of shrubs and trees around farms are found here.
The polders (called "Groden") were created through land reclamation, made possible by the building of dikes, and are increasingly used as tilled fields in the west and northwest of the area. In the south, the fen marshland of the Jade river stretches to the Jade Bay. Outlets controlled by sluices and pump stations facilitate an intensive use of the grassland.
Located near the dike are some excavation locations of clay soil, which are of special importance for the avifauna, particularly the ones of Hayenschlooter Sieltief near the harbour of Eckwardersiel and of Dangaster Sieltief near the town of Dangast.
Due to its proximity to the national park of the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea, the project area is of special importance for resting birds of open country. Many of these birds (Spoonbills, wading birds, seagulls) use the area mainly as a resting place during high tides and to find food. Other bird species (geese, ducks) use the area primarily for resting and to find food, and every evening head for their roosting places within the national park.
Beside its significance as a habitat for resting birds, the marshes in the Jade Bay are very important as a habitat for breeding birds, particularly meadow birds. Among those are large populations of Lapwings and Redshanks. Examples for especially important habitats of breeding birds are the areas of Augustgroden and the Jade marshes.
The area has minor, non-annual occurrences of the Corncrake.
However, with currently about 46 breeding pairs of Black-tailed Godwits, the project area V64 is one of the 12 most important conservation areas for the breeding population of this species in Lower Saxony and for meadow birds in general.
The implementation of the measures and the project goal is particularly favourable in this area for the following reasons:
- 165 ha are already in public ownership
- 426 ha are currently subject to contractual nature conservation
- In an area of 5,850 ha clutch protection is currently carried out
- In an area of 510 ha a project for clutch protection is currently implemented by the county of Frisia, supported by sponsorship and state funds
For several years measures have been taken here to protect meadow birds by contractual nature conservation. The areas have been converted into extensive grassland that are managed by local farmers in a meadow bird friendly way.
The improvement of the water resources, with ground water levels periodically close to the surface, plays an important part in the planned actions.
In the district of Schweiburg, 27 hectares of grassland are being used extensively. Measures for periodically high water levels are in preparation. A permission was granted in summer 2018 and the implementation of the measures is planned for 2020.