Zouweboezem

Zouweboezem is a basin area near Ameide in the South Holland municipality of Zederik, which was excavated between 1370 and 1373 to collect excess water from the polders in the Vijfheerenlanden. The Oude Zederik, also known as Zouwe, runs through the area.
The area is a so-called bird directive area and consists of open water, reed and sedge marshes, willow thickets, alder swamp forest, and small areas of grassland and orchards. The basin lands are flooded during high water and are characterized by a dense pattern of ditches. In the part of the Polder Achthoven that lies within the boundary, bluegrassland occurs. It is an important bird area, with the main breeding birds being the purple heron, the bittern, and the marsh harrier. The area is significant due to the large population of the great mud-skipper, upon which the purple herons forage. Furthermore, it is an important breeding area for species of inundated herbaceous vegetation and floating aquatic plants. These and other waterfowl primarily utilize the sheltered open water areas, while the reed lands serve, among other uses, as a sleeping place for various migratory birds. An area of 258 ha has been designated as a Natura 2000 area.

routeburo