Location: in the western Ore Mountains southwest of the Carlsfeld Valley Dam at an elevation of 940 m above sea level

SAC area: “Erzgebirgskamm am Großen Kranichsee” (domestic identification number: 10 E)

SPA area: “Westerzgebirge” (domestic identification number: 77)

Brief description:
The “Große Säure” moor area encompasses approximately 10 ha and is characterized by mountain pine moor woodlands and spruce (moor) woodlands. Große Säure is a mountainous raised moor. Large swaths of the peat surface of the Großen Säure have disappeared in the past centuries and they have also been severely drained by a tight network of ditches, especially in the eastern part. Peat layers of up to 4.7 m have been identified at the mountain pine moor woodland-covered center. Species native to the high moor such as rosemary moor-wort, crowberries, cranberries, bog bilberries, and hair’s-tail cottongrass are found here. Typical high moor moss species, some of which are threatened with extinction in Saxony,  such as Dicranum undulatum, Polytrichum longisetum, Sphagnum magellanicum, Mylia anomala, and Polytrichum strictum can be found. The Große Säure is part of the cross-border habitat of the capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus). It is located within the “Großer Kranichsee” nature preserve.

Implementation of measures:
Due to the need for action identified in the management plan for the fauna flora habitat area (SAC area), the environmental department of the district council of Chemnitz at the time commissioned a hydrological survey with measurement, hydromorphological analysis, and measure planning. Between 2006 and 2008, the existing ditches were blocked with 61 dams built manually in four construction phases. During this process, the strength of the peat beds made it possible to use board dams as well as numerous timber sheet piling dams. Especially deeply cut ditch areas were also filled with peat. The effects of re-watering were evident in large sections after a short time.
This project was also coordinated with the affected authorities and financed by funds from the Free State of Saxony for nature conservation measures and landscape preservation.