Natura 2000
All our timber rafting trips and some of our canoe tours take place in an area that is part of Natura 2000, an EU-wide network of protected areas designed to preserve unique natural habitats. The responsibility for managing and protecting these areas rests with each member state.
In addition to the Klarälven River, our timber rafting and canoe trips pass through two other Natura 2000 areas located directly adjacent to the river.
Sources for information about Natura 2000 areas in Northern Värmland: Naturvårdsverket (Swedish Environmental Protection Agency) and Länsstyrelsen Värmland (Värmland County Administrative Board)
Klarälven, upper part
The upper course of the Klarälven River is nationally and internationally recognized for its unique bound meander system. The area has a distinctive flora and fauna, largely thanks to the river’s meandering flow, the rich variety of natural habitats, and the climatic conditions. The Natura 2000 area covers the Klarälven River between the power station north of Höljes and the power station in Edebäck, encompassing a total area of just over 2,000 hectares. The river’s character changes along this stretch. The northern section is characterized by steep banks, with forests often reaching down to the water’s edge, and a riverbed composed of coarse sand and gravel. As one travels further south, the valley opens up, with gentler slopes and a calmer water flow. The riverbed transitions to finer materials, consisting mainly of sand and silt.
Until the end of World War II, the land on both sides of the Klarälven was almost entirely open and cultivated. The easily worked sandy soils were farmed early on and have a long tradition of continuous use. Good water quality is crucial for many of Klarälven’s characteristic species. The river’s relatively nutrient-poor and clear water, combined with strongly fluctuating water levels, creates a variety of shoreline environments with high biological diversity.
Particularly valuable species in the area include salmon, otters, and the red-listed aquatic plant Persicaria foliosa.
Knappnäs
The Natura 2000 area Knappnäs is located approximately one kilometer northwest of Likenäs and covers about 20 hectares. It is part of the nature reserve of the same name. Knappnäset was likely formed by a river breakthrough 300–500 years ago and is bordered by an oxbow lake from an old river meander. Parts of the area are flooded annually, leading to the accumulation of sediments on the southern side of the peninsula. The variations in water levels create shoreline meadows and a deciduous-dominated forest with high biodiversity. The humid woodlands, consisting of grey alder, bird cherry, and various willow species, with an abundance of old trees and dead wood, provide essential conditions for a unique fauna and flora. The sediments accumulating on the peninsula create habitats crucial for insects that require open sandy areas, as well as for species with low competitive ability.
In the northern part of the peninsula, there is a rest area with a dry toilet and a fire pit. A hiking trail through the nature reserve also begins there. Throughout the entire area, the following activities are prohibited:
- Collecting invertebrate animals
- Collecting mosses, lichens, and wood-decaying fungi
- Damaging or removing trees, shrubs, or dead wood, including fallen and standing dead trees or dry branches
- Driving motor vehicles
- Lighting fires anywhere other than designated fire pits marked with a sign
Ginbergsängen
North of Öjenäs, between Ekshärad and Bergsäng lies the isthmus Ginbergsängen. The Natura 2000 area is part of a nature reserve with same name. In former times it was used by people but now the deciduous forest has reclaimed the isthmus and slowly insects, birds and plants that belong in the alder swamp forest are returning. Along the riverbank, the alder forest is increasingly mixed with willow, where the rare species European violet willow and Almond willow thrive. Both have a large part of their Swedish occurrence along the Klarälven River.
Ginbergsängen is home to a very special beetle fauna with rare ground beetle species such as the sandpiper, the silver sandpiper and the brown sandpiper. These are associated with sandy river beaches and the latter two have their main occurrence in Sweden along the Klarälven River. Within Ginbergsängen, a large number of species of wood-dwelling beetles and other insects have also been found in the deciduous forest, which offers plenty of suitable habitats in the form of dead and dying trees and sunny clearings with plenty of herbs.
Within the reserve, it is not allowed to pick herbs, mosses, lichens or mushrooms, or collect insects.