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The shallow water zones are important habitats for birds, fish and insects. Accordingly, these ecosystems need understanding and protection. The "Natur & Freizeit" association wants to use a campaign to draw attention to the need to treat these creatures with respect. To do this, they have defined four behaviors:
Keep your distance from reeds
Keep your distance from gravel islands and sandbars
Keep your distance from bird collections
Respect protected areas
We naturally support this concern as much as possible and want to do our part to ensure that these rules of conduct are observed.
BEHAVIOUR
Safety
Out and about on the water
In addition to the four behaviors in favor of nature, there are other rules for navigating bodies of water (distance to swimming zones, respect for the privacy of residents). You are also responsible for your own safety (equipment, training, etc.).
Distances on the water
Estimating distances is not easy on the water because there are no familiar objects of comparison. So it is better to keep a little more distance. You should generally know these distances:
25 meters - legal minimum distance to reeds, rushes, water lilies and other aquatic plants to protect the shoreline and vegetation. According to the Inland Navigation Ordinance, anyone who drives closer risks a fine.
100 meters - Recommended minimum distance from reeds, islands and banks of gravel or sand to avoid disturbance.
300 meters - According to the Inland Shipping Ordinance, you are only allowed to move further from the bank with a life jacket. You can find more information on security at swisscanoe.ch/de/sicherheit .
1000 meters - collections of water birds can - especially in winter - react to this distance. Birds stretch their necks first, swim away and finally fly away. We, therefore, recommend the greatest possible distance.
Pay attention to signals
In the area, protected areas are partially marked with yellow buoys or the following boards with prohibition pictograms. This includes stand-up paddling or kitesurfing, for example.
Information board for the Swiss protected area
