Protection and maintenance

Lake Östen is a shallow, clay-flatland lake with high nutritional values, which is surrounded by large water meadows. Most of these water meadows are maintained by grazing and hay-making.

The woods by the lake are dominated by osier bushes and alder, accompanied by a few crack willow trees. Yellow loosestrife, purple loosestrife and the common meadow-rue grow in the water meadows that are not maintained.

Reeds and rushes
The actual lake is dominated by reeds and rushes. There are large belts of reeds in the northern, southern and south-western parts of the lake and at the bay called Flistadsviken. Clumps of rushes can be found in large parts of the open areas of water.

During the spring, the surface of the water in the lake is open. Later in the summer, however, it changes character when the circular clumps of rushes emerge from the water.

A valuable wetland
Lake Östen is a wetland area of national and international significance. This is underlined in particular by the fact that the lake and its immediate surroundings are included in both the European network of valuable natural areas (Natura 2000) and the international wetland convention's list of valuable wetlands (Ramsar).