Oset-Rynningeviken, located where the river Svartån flows into Lake Hjälmaren, is a mosaic of shallow open waters, ponds, reedbeds, tree- and herb-dominated marshes, wet and dry meadows, pastures, and deciduous and conifer forests. The Site is an important stopover for migrating birds and a breeding area for around 100 species including the globally threatened common pochard Aythya ferina. The Site regularly supports over 20,000 waterbirds, with populations also visiting the nearby Kvismaren Ramsar Site (Site no. 24) and Lake Tysslingen. The nutrient-rich waters offer crucial spawning grounds, nursery and foraging areas for fish species such as the asp Aspius aspius and the zander Sander lucioperca (which is commercially fished in the Lake). River Svartån is also a migration path for the critically endangered European eel Anguilla anguilla. The wetland plays an important role in water purification and forms a buffer between the city of Örebro and Lake Hjälmaren. After a long period of restoration measures, Oset-Rynningeviken is now one of the city’s most important leisure areas, with around 500,000 visits annually. A network of cycling and walking paths, picnic tables, information boards and shelters are provided. The main threats to the ecological character of the Site relate to pollution from intensive agricultural production in the surrounding areas leading to algae problems in Lake Hjälmaren during warm periods. A management plan for the nature reserve and a conservation plan for the Natura 2000 Site are implemented on the Ramsar Site.

Örebro County