Skärgårdsparkens våtmarksområde

**The wetlands in Kalmar consist of recreated aquatic environments in nature with the aim of helping wildlife and at the same time cleaning the water.

In the recreation area Skärgårdsparken there is a wetland area consisting of Kalmar Dämme, Hagbygärdedämmet and Hagbynäs wetland.

Kalmar dam

Kalmar dam with a total water area of about 18 ha was built already in 1996. The dam was created as a joint project between Kalmar municipality and the Swedish Civil Aviation Administration to prevent mainly nitrogen but also phosphorus from leaking into the Baltic Sea. The water is pumped from Törnebybäcken, one of the most eutrophic watercourses in the county. With the help of nature's own treatment plant, the nitrogen and phosphorus content is reduced through a whole series of natural processes.

Both above- and below-water plants have been planted in the dam to create an aquatic plant filter with as large a plant surface as possible. This makes the purification processes more efficient and benefits plant and animal life. The plants capture dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus while providing shelter for many different species of small animals, many of which begin the process of decomposing organic matter before fungi and bacteria take over and complete the process.

Over the years, the dam has been rebuilt in various ways and improvements are continuously being made.

Hagbygärde dam

In 2012, Hagbygärdedämmet was built to treat stormwater from the western parts of Kalmar. Hagbygärdediket is one of Kalmar's most polluted waterways. Rainwater and meltwater from roads, parking lots and roofs flow on to Hagbygärdediket, which is a substream of Törnebybäcken. Stormwater from part of Berga, the area around Hansa City, Oxhagen and Hagbygärde industrial area is collected there.

In areas with a lot of traffic and hard surfaces, rain and meltwater carry pollutants and nutrients as they flow into watercourses. By treating this water in a dam, an estimated 70-80% of the pollution is reduced.

This is where a large part of the stormwater comes from (https://uploads.naturkartan-cdn.se/dbddc545cff490525caf505375d7b749.jpg?width=640)
This is where a large part of the stormwater comes from.

Hagbynäs wetland

Hagbynäs wetland was created in 2021 with the help of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's local nature conservation grant (LONA) and complemented the overall picture of the Hagbygärde dam. The water is highly affected by runoff from many hard surfaces in the city. The wetland is at most one meter deep, but most of it is shallower to accommodate aquatic plants and microorganisms that help purify the water. The shallow banks are kept short to benefit birds that prefer such environments. Thanks to the shallow water level, the ice freezes quickly in winter and is suitable for ice skating.

Good conditions for birdlife and fish

The area around the wetlands and ponds in Skårgårdsparken is known for its scenic surroundings and biodiversity. The large open water areas and reed beds provide good conditions for a rich animal and bird life. In addition to geese, ducks, coots and other shorebirds, several rarer species have been observed, such as great egret, brown harrier, reed warbler, saw-whet sparrow and rosefinch.

The dam has become a successful spawning ground for pike and other predatory fish. At the outlet, a carefully designed fish passage allows migrating fish to enter the wetland. Areas like this are very important for migratory species like pike, as many of the natural spawning areas have disappeared over the last 200 years.

Birdlife considerations and fishing bans

Please show consideration by keeping your distance from the wetland and moving calmly in the area during the period March 15 - July 15 when birds are particularly sensitive due to nesting. Please note that fishing is prohibited in all wetlands, ponds and in Törnebybäcken. Fishing is prohibited in order not to disturb the purification capacity of the wetland and to protect the fish that spawn at the outlet of the dam.