Aasee is an artificial lake in Bocholt, Kreis Borken, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. At an elevation of 23.8 meters, its surface area is 0.32 km². It serves as a local recreation area which has a total area of around 0.74 km². It also serves as flood protection for the surrounding area.

Recreation, athletics and culture

There are numerous athletic and recreation activity possibilities on and around Aasee. For example, it is possible to sail and surf. There is also an outdoor swimming area monitored by the German Life Saving Association as well as the Strandcafé Ottilie on the southeastern shore. Along the western shore is an area approved for

model ships Ship models or model ships are scale models of ships. They can range in size from 1/6000 scale wargaming miniatures to large vessels capable of holding people. Ship modeling is a craft as old as shipbuilding itself, stretching back to ancient t ...

. Since 1987, the Aasee-Triathlon has taken place every year in June. The areas around the Aasee are used for numerous public events and gatherings. Separated from the Aasee by just one street, the

Bocholt textile museum The Bocholt textile museum is a museum in Bocholt, a city in the north-west of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, part of the district Borken. It is situated 4 km south of the border with the Netherlands. The museum opened in 1989 as one of t ...

's building is modeled on a

Weaving Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal ...

mill from the 19th century.

History

Beginning in the 1970s, the Aasee was created by dredging. The project was eventually completed in 1987. The extensive area previously served as a flood plain. The

Bocholter Aa Bocholter Aa is a river of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and the Achterhoek of the Netherlands. It flows through the town Bocholt. Its last part, before joining the Oude IJssel in Ulft, is called Aa-strang in Dutch. See also *List of rivers ...

was led south around the lake, to compensate for the level of the Aasee.

Locks Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

regulate both the inflow and outflow of water. At one of the locks are the remains of the "Königsmühle" (King's Mill), whose walls date from the

Late Middle Ages The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Europe, the Renai ...

. A small

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

for

water fowl The Anatidae are the biological family of water birds that includes ducks, geese, and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica. These birds are adapted for swimming, floating ...

with artificial nesting holes has been created.

References

Lakes of North Rhine-Westphalia Bocholt, Germany RAasee Artificial lakes of Germany {{Borken-geo-stub