Kiesgruben Meschenich

An old road, now almost completely overgrown, runs through the site and divides it into two halves. The eastern part is dominated by a larger excavation lake with two islands; its shore is only loosely fringed with reeds, while a more extensive reed bed borders the lake to the northwest. Along the western bank lies a mound of gravel forming an area of open, bare ground. The western section takes in a smaller pit with stands of common reed and reedmace as well as dry grassland. Planted shrubs and trees, together with self-seeded growth, run through and frame the entire area.

The site has been designated a nature reserve and classified as worthy of protection since 1991. Management focuses on preserving the open water surface, the reed beds and the sparsely vegetated areas of bare ground. The habitat types deemed worthy of protection include natural nutrient-rich lakes (around 8.95 ha), scrub and groups of trees (about 13.21 ha), and marshes and reed beds.

The gravel pits are of regional importance for waterfowl, amphibians, lizards and butterflies. That the bird life here also attracts attention was underlined in 2018 by a report in the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, which addressed concerns over species such as the sedge warbler and the grey partridge.

The documented species list is remarkably extensive. In and around the water grow white water lily, common reed, broadleaf cattail and various pondweeds, among others. The tree stock includes white willow, black alder, pedunculate oak, large-leaved and small-leaved lime, sycamore and field maple, silver birch, black locust, walnut and wild cherry, along with shrubs such as blackthorn, black elder, fly honeysuckle, wayfaring tree and privet. The meadow areas support species such as red clover, yarrow and false oat-grass, together with numerous other herbaceous plants including cranesbill, willowherb, ragwort and various thistles.