The Reed Bed

The Reed Bed

CALM WATERS, NO WAVES!

The reed bed is a marshy area where reeds grow predominantly. It appeared after the construction works on the Montrigon dam in the 1950s. The site then gained in biodiversity.

Usually known for being perfectly calm, this reed bed has its share of lively days here!

To produce hydroelectricity, large volumes of water can be released by the dams—enough to be measured in Olympic swimming pools… The reed bed can thus be flooded or left out of water within the same day, as if it were subject to tides.

These shifting waters are what make its ecosystem so rich. Water levels that are too frequently low could dry it out, but when they remain periodic, they encourage its expansion thanks to the oxygenation of the soil.