Aschau

The Aschau is a stream in the Südheide Nature Park in Lower Saxony, Germany, It is a tributary of the Lachte, which in turn discharges into the River Aller.Source regionThe Aschau originates in Loher Ponds, artificially-created in the 1890s. These ponds are fed by a headstream, the Drellebach. In 1903 more ponds were added to the south and designated as the Aschau Ponds . The entire area today consists of about 50 artificial ponds where trout, carp, tench, pike, ide, signal crayfish and noble crayfish are extensively farmed. The area is also a habitat for gudgeon, roach, stickleback, bitterling and swan mussels.The ponds have been part of a wetland nature reserve since 1982. In 1987 they were also designated as a bird reserve. Since 2003 the area has been an EU bird reserve and since 2005 it has been part of the EU's nature conservation project, Natura 2000, as Special Protection Area 86, the Lachte-Lutter-Aschau Nature Reserve.