“Skærsø, an oak stream meadow,” the name itself whispers tales. Skærsø is more than just a place. It’s a story etched in water and land.
Imagine meadows reflooded. Picture a landscape reborn. That’s the story of Skærsø. Once drained for agriculture in the 1950s, the land suffered. By the 1990s, the Egå River, which Skærsø drains into, was in trouble. Nitrate fertilizer from intensive farming caused eutrophication.
Aarhus Municipality, Aarhus County, and the Danish Forest and Nature Agency joined forces. They launched Vandmiljøplan II in 1998. This Action Plan for the Aquatic Environment aimed to reduce the nitrate’s harmful effects. The solution? To construct Skærsø. Another reason was the need for a strengthened defense against increasing rainfalls. Work began alongside the new Djursland motorway. Skærsø was completed in 2006. Today, Aarhus municipality is the single owner of Skærsø.
Skærsø covers approximately 115 hectares. Reedbeds and meadows add another 100 hectares. Access is restricted in most places. Wet meadows at the lake’s edge are reserved for grazing cattle. Grazing helps control shrub growth and maintain a natural meadow habitat. It also boosts biodiversity.
The water level in Skærsø varies greatly. This is by design. It changes with the weather and season. Under normal conditions, the average depth is about 1 meter. Water levels can rise by an additional meter or more. Skærsø is home to many fish species. Fishing is prohibited as is swimming.
Look to the south brink. There’s a bird watching tower erected in 2007. The Australian wine firm Banrock Station funded its construction. Skærsø attracts diverse bird species. Large flocks are common. Up to 2015, 188 species had been registered.
A path about 5 km long circles Skærsø. Each kilometer is marked. It’s perfect for walking, rollerblading, running, or biking. You’ll find parking lots near the motorway junction from Lystrupvej. Another parking lot is at Viengevej in the southeast corner. Cyclists and pedestrians can access Skærsø from Terp and Vejby. Passageways run underneath the railway line on the western side.
On the southern brinks, there’s an activity area for children and schools. It’s modelled on a Stone Age settlement. Shelters can be booked for camping. Aarhus municipality aims to make Skærsø publicly accessible and attractive for all citizens.
Skærsø is home to rare flora and fauna. Some are on the Danish Red List. Others are protected under EU habitat directives. Common comfrey grows here. It’s rare in Denmark. It was used in folklore medicine. The thick shelled river mussel has established itself here. It is globally endangered. Short-eared owls live and forage here. They are endangered. White storks occasionally rest here. They are critically endangered. Eurasian spoonbills also rest here. They are vulnerable. Ferruginous ducks live here. They are near threatened. Black terns are here. They are endangered.
Parts of the meadows are grazed by cattle. This creates ideal conditions for flora and fauna. These species are associated with wet meadows.
In the Stone Age, the Skærsø area was part of a larger fjord. It stretched from the Bay of Aarhus to Lisbjerg. Moesgård Museum has found traces of early human settlements. They discovered boats and kitchen middens in the Egå valley. Stone Age people hunted aurochs, elk, and wild boars. They fished, collected shellfish, and even hunted whales. Orcas were an important food source. They killed whales with spears and lances. The hunt was carried out from long, narrow dugout canoes. Bone remains from at least 16 orcas have been found. Dugouts excavated from 1990 to 2001 are the oldest known boats in Northern Europe. They date back to 5,210-4,910 BC.
Skærsø stands as a testament to restoration and preservation. It shows what can be achieved when communities invest in nature. As you walk around Skærsø, remember its history. Remember the Stone Age hunters, the drained meadows, and the restored lake.