Swiss authorities protect UNESCO pile dwellings from beavers

Historic pile dwelling settlements on Lake Inkwil in northwestern Switzerland have now been protected against beaver damage. Keystone-SDA

Swiss authorities have completed special measures to protect UNESCO-heritage pile dwelling settlements on Lake Inkwil, between cantons Bern and Solothurn, from beaver damage.

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The project to protect the ancient stilt villages against damage from beavers, which costs CHF800,000, has been completed, the cantons said on Monday in a joint statement.

Construction work in Lake Inkwil was completed on schedule at the beginning of December. The large island and the nearby lake bed were covered with rodent grids, gravel and special earth mixture.

The UNESCO World Heritage site will thus be preserved in good conditions for future generations and protected from beavers, the statement said. The costs of these protective measures were shared between the two cantons – CHF300,000 each – and CHF200,000 for the federal government.

Deadwood stock restored

Nature conservation also played a role in the protective measures. According to the cantons, this included protecting the beaver and the breeding area on the island. Following the construction work, the original stock of deadwood on the lake bed in the shore area was restored.

The aim is to create habitats and structures for fish, birds and other small animals. Piles of branches were also erected on the island. The trunks of the remaining trees on the island were carefully protected with rodent netting in order to preserve them as nesting trees.

The artificial beaver replacement structure on the small island will be dismantled after the birds’ breeding season. The beavers had already built new dens in other places, it was said.

Site of international importance

According to the cantons, the large island in Lake Inkwil is a long-standing protected archaeological site. As part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps”, it enjoys the highest level of protection and is of international importance.

The protected area includes the island and the neighbouring lake bed, where well-preserved settlement remains from the Neolithic and Bronze Age (3800 to 850 BC) can be found.

Almost 1,000 pile dwelling sites have been documented in lakes, rivers and bogs in six countries around the Alpine region (Switzerland, Germany, Italy, France, Austria, and Slovenia). In 2011, the United Nations culture agency UNESCO attributed World Heritage status to 111 of the sitesExternal link.

Translated from German by AI/sb

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