Award for the Mässerbach in the Binntal valley
On the occasion of the park hike in the Binntal Landscape Park, the Mässerbach in the Binntal was honoured as a ‘Gewässerperle PLUS’. It is one of the few watercourses that have remained wild, pristine and untamed to this day.
Just 3.6 per cent of Switzerland's watercourses are in a very good ecological condition. The vast majority of all streams and rivers are canalised or obstructed, and their water is dammed or captured. But they still exist, the last natural stretches of water. This is where the label ‘Gewässerperle PLUS’ label, a label for unspoilt Swiss watercourses that recognises ecologically intact sections of water and the commitment of the people behind them. ‘The label is intended to sensitise the public in a positive way for the preservation of natural waters,’ explained Antonia Eisenhut from the board of the Gewässerperlen association during the label handover.
Wild and natural from source to mouth
The Mässerbach in the Binntal valley is one such natural watercourse: wild, pristine and untamed! It rises at the Geisspfad at around 2500 metres above sea level, flows shortly after the mouth first into the Geisspfadsee and then into the Züesee, plunges down to the Manibode, where it forms the unique plateau with its many boulders from an old landslide boulders of an old landslide, before flowing down into the valley through open larch and dense spruce forests down into the valley. Above Fäld, the Mässerbach flows into the Binna. It therefore fulfils all the criteria for the
for the ‘Gewässerperle PLUS’ label. In contrast to most streams in Switzerland, its water is neither dammed is neither dammed up nor contained, but flows freely from its source to its mouth. ‘The Mässerbach is the fourth watercourse in Switzerland to receive our label,’ says Gabriele Aebli, Managing Director of the Gewässerperlen association Gewässerperlen and project manager at WWF Switzerland, which developed the label.
Honouring the beauty of the Mässerbach
‘When we heard about the Gewässerperle PLUS label, we wondered what the situation was with the streams in the Binntal Landscape Park. It then became clear that the Mässerbach would deserve the label,’ says project manager Barbara Grendelmeier. ‘With this award, we want to recognise the beauty of the Mässerbach and sensitise people to the value of this beautiful area.’ In a participatory process process, the future of the Mässerbach was also discussed. Because that is also part of the label, which is only awarded if there is a development plan for the watercourse and its surroundings. Although not many measures are required for the Mässerbach, ideas were developed together, for raising awareness or guiding visitors, for example. ‘Sometimes doing nothing is best,’ smiles Rudolf Jossen, mayor of Binn, who is referring to the old alludes to Binn's old conservation agreement, which placed the rear Binntal valley under protection back in 1964. ‘For us it's an honour for the municipality to have such a beautiful stream on its territory!’ Francesco Walter, Vice President of the Binntal Landscape Park, is also delighted with the label: ‘The preservation of nature and landscape is one of the landscape is one of the goals of the Binntal Landscape Park. The Mässerbach is a special jewel or a water pearl that we can be very proud of. The Mässerbach should also be preserved in its preserved in its natural state.’