Projekt Renaturierungsfonds Kanton Bern

Rivers, streams and lakes should be designed as close to their natural state as possible. Wherever possible, what was previously obstructed should be restored to its natural state. This is the goal of the renaturation fund of the Canton of Bern.
The Renaturation Fund supports and relieves communities and the public in the implementation of renaturation projects, initiates projects through clarifications, feasibility studies, catchment area studies and enables land acquisition.



Jäunli, Abländschen – like in a coral reef The Jäunli near Abländschen is almost tiny. But the little stream at the foot of the Gastlosen surprises with an unexpected abundance of life. Larvae of chironomids and caddisflies build with the help of spinnerets transparent looking tube-like shells, in which they then remain. Between this dense, whitish mass, golden-yellow threads of Hydrurus algae waved. These only thrive in cold water, for example in the Arctic - and in winter here in Jäunli. Above all, however, this almost microscopic world is of beguiling beauty, fragile and colorful like a coral reef. And this small body of water, together with many others, feeds the mighty Aare. But certainly the Jäunli in its colorful splendor is one of the most amazing.

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Jägglisglunte, Brienz – spawning migration of Pike from Lake Brienz


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Flüebachquelle, Reutigen – spring at the Glütschbach



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Harnischlinge, Reutigen – karst spring at the Glütschbach


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Aubächli, Wimmis – White-clawed crayfish in the renaturalized stream, as protection against crayfish plague



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Steinigand, Wimmis – spawning pools for amphibians created in the gravel of the Kander River



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Images produced on behalf of the Renaturation Fund of the Canton of Bern from 2022 to 2023.




Rivers, streams and lakes should be designed as close to their natural state as possible. Wherever possible, what was previously obstructed should be restored to its natural state. This is the goal of the renaturation fund of the Canton of Bern. The Renaturation Fund supports and relieves communities and the public in the implementation of renaturation projects, initiates projects through clarifications, feasibility studies, catchment area studies and enables land acquisition.



Lake Thun, Merligen – trees for fish The fish are in the trees, says the fishery warden. Sounds a bit strange, but in Lake Thun, near Merligen and elsewhere, trees have been sunk to provide fish with a substitute for the natural shores that have disappeared. Accompanied by a professional diver, I go to the lake and we dive down in the direction of the sunken firs. Indeed, we soon see fish in the area of the trees, mainly Perch. They gradually get used to us and I start taking pictures. But suddenly masses of fish shoot into the branches. Is there a predator? Close in front of the camera the Perch now crowd in masses, as I have hardly ever seen. After some time they spread out again around the tree. With really simple means, a lot was achieved for the benefit of the fish.

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Hunzigenau, Rubigen – juvenile Chub, European perch, Red-eye rudd, Spirlin, Barbel and Common bleak in shallow renaturalized banks of the Aare river


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Hunzigenau, Rubigen – European perch, Red-eye rudd, Spirlin, Chub and Common bleak under dead wood introduced into side arms of the Aare river as measures for renaturation



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Urtene, Holzmühle – barbel and chub replace the once common trout and grayling


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F13-262 Chub	F13-263 Chub, Brown trout	F13-264 Chub, Barbel	F13-266 Chub
F13-267 Chub	F13-268 Chub	F13-270 Chub	F13-271 Chub
F13-272 Chub	F13-273 Chub	F13-276 Chub, Barbel	F13-277 Chub, Barbel
F13-278 Chub, Barbel	F19-145 Barbel, Chub	F19-147 Barbel, Chub	U103-896

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Sense river – wild and untamed The Sense is the most valuable river on the northern edge of the Alps. And above all, the last one in Switzerland without a power plant. As a result, floodwaters regularly thunder through the Sense Gorge, continually reshaping the riverbed and the floodplain forest. The gravel bed loosened and rearranged in this way is a paradise for aquatic insects. This is also the river in Switzerland with the most insect species - more than in the Rhine, for example. The Sense was once probably the best trout river in Switzerland, and the otter also lived there like in a land of milk and honey. But today the place of the trout is taken by the barbel. They dance like a ballet over the river bottom, burrowing at the bottom for food or taking drifting insect larvae. In addition, the chub hold up quite well and recently also the spirlin. Everything is in a state of flux.

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F19-160 Barbel	F19-158 Barbel	F19-157 Barbel	F19-156 Barbel
F19-155 Barbel	F19-154 Barbel	F19-152 Barbel	F19-150 Barbel
F13-310 Chub	F13-309 Chub	F13-307 Chub	F13-306 Chub
F13-305 Chub	F13-303 Chub	F41-10 Spirlin	U103-1493 Spirlin

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Barbel, september and october, 2021



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Flood of July 2021, with peak of 210 m3/s - Photographed on July 13, 2021 near Sodbach, with about 100 m3/s
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Alte Aare, Worben – the old Aare river Unimaginable that the Aare once rolled its mighty waters through this river channel! That was before the first Jura water correction, when it was diverted at Aarberg into Lake Biel. So now the Alte Aare flows as an almost ridiculously small river through enchanted alluvial forests until it joins the diverted waters of the Aare again at Büren. Renaturalized today, idyllic, but still only a residual water. Most of the time, the Alte Aare has turbid water, the once good fish stocks have collapsed. Rich life can only be found in the forgotten waters along the river. I am now sitting at one of these oxbow lakes, watching as large carp slowly approach my camera, nervously twitching their fins, indignant that something is disturbing their quiet world.

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F20-134 Common carp	F20-135 Common carp	F20-137 Common carp	F20-140 Common carp



F20-174 Common carp	F20-176 Common carp	F20-177 Common carp	F20-178 Common carp
F22-115 Red-eye rudd	F22-116 Red-eye rudd	F22-117 Red-eye rudd	F22-119 Red-eye rudd



F32-96 Northern Pike	F32-99 Pike, Common bleak	F34-34 Common bleak	F34-37 Common bleak



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Aare, Büren an der Aare – a river full of fish Even though this stretch of the Aare has not been renaturalized: the meaning of these images represents the abundance of life that a river can harbor. Of course, much has changed. The Aare was diverted, canalized, natural, richly structured banks were missing, and fish struggled to cope with these changed conditions. Today, add to this the severe warming of the water, and the effects are significant. Cold-loving species such as trout and grayling are giving way to other warm-loving species. These are mainly cyprinids, but also species like the catfish. Nonetheless, the images of masses of fish in an otherwise often impoverished environment are soothing.

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In the fall, Roach (Rutilus rutilus) form massive schools of thousands and thousands of fish to seek out wintering grounds in the Aare river.
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F33-130 Perch, Roach	F33-129 Perch, Roach	F33-128 Perch, Roach	F33-127 Perch, Roach
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F33-122 Perch	F33-121 Perch	F33-120 Perch	F33-119 Perch
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F32-126 Northen Pike	F32-125 Northen Pike	F47-04 Gudgeon	F47-03 Gudgeon
F31-59 Bream	F33-114 Perch	F33-113 Perch	F33-112 Perch
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F33-103 Perch	F33-102 Perch	F22-148 Red-eye rudd	F22-147 Red-eye rudd
F22-146 Red-eye rudd	F22-145 Red-eye rudd	F22-144 Red-eye rudd	F50-06 Dace
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F43-08 Pumpkinseed, Perch	F43-09 Pumpkinseed, Perch	F43-10 Pumpkinseed, Perch	F43-11 Pumpkinseed, Perch
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F22-120 Red-eye rudd	F22-121 Red-eye rudd	F22-122 Red-eye rudd	F22-123 Red-eye rudd
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