Have you ever felt the wind whisper secrets from centuries past? Here at the Langeraarsche Plassen you can. These lakes are more than just water. They’re living history.
The Langeraarsche Plassen a collection of low-lying peat lakes in the northeast of Zuid-Holland. They lie between Langeraar and Papenveer. They’re nestled near the Aarkanaal canal but remain isolated from other large bodies of water. This isolation is part of their unique charm.
The Langeraarsche Plassen didn’t always exist. Their story begins in the 16th century. People dug peat from the area. The proximity to Amsterdam and the Drecht waterway made this a worthwhile venture. Unlike other peat extraction areas it was never fully drained. Perhaps the area was too small to justify such extensive work. Interestingly peat extraction bypassed Papenveer and its surrounding areas. The soil composition there was deemed unsuitable.
Initially the area was a mix of ditches raised causeways islands forests marshes and quaking bogs. Remnants of this varied landscape are still visible in the Geerpolder Plas. But in the North and South Plas wind and waves have erased most of this variety.
Today the Langeraarsche Plassen are mostly open water. The average depth is about 190 centimeters. Besides the open water there are also marshy forests. The shores of the South and North Plas are largely developed. They’re home to horticulture and buildings. You’ll find some small wooded areas. In contrast the Geerpolder Plas boasts remaining causeways many with trees and marshland.
The Langeraarsche Plassen attract many waterfowl. Smient tufted ducks and wigeons are frequent visitors. The Geerpolder Plas’s old marshland forest is a particularly rich bird habitat. Grey herons cormorants tawny owls and kestrels nest there. Frogs and toads abound. The rare European spadefoot toad is present here. Weasels stoats Norwegian lemmings and many bat species are among the mammal inhabitants. In the Geerpolder’s marshlands rare plants like the marsh orchid common sedge and sundew once thrived.
The water quality in the Langeraarsche Plassen is unfortunately poor. It’s overly rich in nutrients. The result is high turbidity and frequent algal blooms. Attempts to improve water quality in the early 1990s. These involved dredging the polluted bottom excluding polluted water and introducing de-phosphated water from the Aarkanaal. Initial results seemed positive but later proved counterproductive. The introduction of alkaline water into a naturally acidic peat area caused peat decay. Dredging exposed the peat releasing large amounts of phosphates and other nutrients. This intensified internal eutrophication negating any positive effects. The excessive growth of blue-green algae is linked to the introduction of alien water. Swimming is discouraged because of the blue-green algae. Despite the poor water quality some fish such as bream thrive here. This pleases both anglers and fish-eating birds.
Today you can sail surf and fish in the Langeraarsche Plassen. You can rent rowboats and motorboats in Langeraar. There’s even a surf club. The plassen are popular with anglers. In severe winters ice-skating tours are organized. While swimming was once common the province of Zuid-Holland issues negative swimming advisories regularly. The Langeraarsche Plassen a place of history beauty and constant change. A place where the past is present in every ripple of the water.