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The reason for the realignment of the ‘Wrauster Bogen’ (situated at Hamburg Kirchwerder) was to compensate the construction of the ‘Hower and Warwischer main dyke’ in 1989. The meadowy countryside and grassland belonged to the vulnerable wetlands. Along the Elbe estuary only a few low dynamic zones exist, due to the straightened shape of the shores. The marsh habitat of the ‘Wrauster Bogen’, located at a bend of the river provided the opportunity for creating a new stagnant water zone.