The Innauen near Strada and Scuol and the mayfly of the Inn
26 July 2024
Pebbles have been dredged out of the Inn near Strada (the Innauen, Islas da Strada in Romansh) in the Lower Engadin (canton Graubünden) for decades. Debris has been dumped into the river, and dams have been built.
As a result, the course of the river has changed since 1950. Flora and fauna disappeared. These industrial activities stopped in 1990, and dams were removed. The Inn is returning to its old course.
Because of the varying amounts of water, from a wild river to a quiet mountain stream, a landscape with banks and swamps evolved, a paradise for mammals, insects, birds, amphibians and flora.
Text and explanation on the many species of butterflies at the Inn and their distant migrations to Africa and Sweden!
Nature needed two decades, but then it was almost restored to its former state—in some cases, even more diverse than ever in this area.
Innauen means the waters of the Inn. ‘Aue’ originates from the Old German word ‘ouwa’ for water. The Romansh (Vallader) word is ‘aua’.
The mayfly
One of the Inn’s many inhabitants is the mayfly or, rather, the larva of the mayfly. As its name implies, the mayfly is short-lived. But that applies to the time above the water after the larva becomes a fly.
On the left, the larva of the mayfly
The larva of the mayfly
Before that, the mayfly lived as a larva underwater for one to three years, at least if other inhabitants, such as fish, snakes, birds or other animals, had not eaten it. There, it feeds on algae and micro-organisms.
The mayfly’s role in the circle of life is significant, especially during its underwater larval stage. After emerging as a fly, its sole purpose is to reproduce. It cannot eat, as it has no mouth, and within 24 hours, it fulfils its role and dies.
The mayfly’s acceptance of its fate is a philosophical issue that holds a mirror to humankind. It does not spend a second of its short life above water mourning its fate. Instead, it flies around, mates, or lays its eggs in the water, fulfilling its role in the circle of life.
(Source and further information: www.wwf.ch)
