Marsh spring discovered in Strajanov Breg

Work at Strajanov Breg has come to an end. The people and machinery have gone, and the valley is once again quiet and peaceful. At the moment, the valley reminds us of a battlefield, but with proper management, Common Alder and Alder Buckthorn will be replaced in a few years by grasses and sedges which will become a suitable habitat for the endangered Fen Orchid, the False Ringlet butterfly and other species that live in the wetland meadows.

The Strajanov Breg Valley is a special place, as it is the only remaining lowland bog in the Ljubljana Marsh and has, until now, retained a surprise yet to be discovered, due to its thick overgrowth. Once the work had been completed, when a part of the valley was cleared of wood overgrowth, we discovered four marsh spring, but there may be others hidden in the overgrown part of the valley. Marsh springs form due to water pressure in the aquifer layers. These are springs in the shape of circular hollows, often looking like larger, oval-shaped puddles, and therefore called “windows” by the locals. These springs represent an important geomorphological natural heritage that is very rarely found in Slovenia or the wider world. There are no historical records relating to these windows in the Strajanov Breg, so their discovery was an even bigger surprise.

Discovered marsh springs ranging up to 2 meters deep. Photo: Bratina M.