The Kleiner Jasmunder Bodden belongs to the

North Rügen Bodden The North Rügen Bodden (german: Nordrügener Bodden or ''Rügenschen Innenboddenkette'') are a string of West Pomeranian lagoons, known as ''bodden'', on the Baltic Sea coast of northeastern Germany. They are almost entirely surrounded by the is ...

and is a water body on the southern edge of the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...

in the German state of

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; ; nds, Mäkelborg-Vörpommern), also known by its anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, is a state in the north-east of Germany. Of the country's sixteen states, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ranks 14th in po ...

. It is a ''

bodden Bodden are briny bodies of water often forming lagoons, along the southwestern shores of the Baltic Sea, primarily in Germany's state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. These lagoons can be found especially around the island of Rügen, Usedom an ...

'', a type of lagoon that occurs in northern Europe especially on the coast of

Pomerania Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze; german: Pommern; Kashubian: ''Pòmòrskô''; sv, Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to ...

. It is around seven kilometres long and five kilometres across at its widest point, but in places it is considerably narrower. It has an area of 28.4 square kilometres.Kleiner Jasmunder Bodden
at ruegen-mv.de. Retrieved 30 Sep 21. The lagoon is bounded to the north by the

Jasmund Jasmund is a peninsula of the island of Rügen in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is connected to the Wittow peninsula and to the Muttland main section of Rügen by the narrow land bridges Schaabe and Schmale Heide, respectively. Sassnitz, Saga ...

peninsula, to the east by the spit of the

Schmale Heide The Schmale Heide (literally "Narrow Heath") is a 9.5-kilometre-long and roughly 2-kilometre-wide bar between the Baltic seaside resort of Binz and the village of Neu Mukran near Sassnitz on the German island of Rügen. It lies in the municipali ...

and to the south by the main body of the island of Rügen, the

Muttland Muttland comprises the main section of the German island of Rügen, excluding the Rugian peninsulae and small surrounding islands. The predominant land use is agriculture. Grasslands are found in very small proportions. There are nature conservati ...

. To the northwest near

Lietzow Lietzow is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Rügen district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe af ...

it is linked to the

Großer Jasmunder Bodden The Großer Jasmunder Bodden belongs to the Northern Rügener Boddens and is a water body on the southern edge of the Baltic Sea in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It is a '' bodden'', a type of lagoon that occurs in northern Europe ...

by a ditch and sluice gate. The two ''bodden'' were first separated in 1869 by the construction of an embankment that now carries the B 96 federal road and the

Stralsund–Sassnitz railway Stralsund–Sassnitz railway is a railway line, most of which is located on the German island of Rügen and which is its most important railway. The line is the northernmost German section of the route from Berlin to Stockholm. Course The line ...

. This embankment turned the ''bodden'' more or less into a

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

. The shore of the ''bodden'' is quite indented: for example, the Pulitz peninsula juts out well into the ''bodden''. This is designated as a

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 ...

. The water of the Kleiner Jasmunder Bodden contains very little salt because it has no direct link to the Baltic Sea. The canal to the Großer Jasmunder Bodden, which only has a salt content of 0.6 to 0.7 per cent itself, is too small to deliver salt continuously. The ''bodden'' is rich in fish. Its water quality is poor, however, due to discharges from the sewage works at

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...

and

eutrophication Eutrophication is the process by which an entire body of water, or parts of it, becomes progressively enriched with minerals and nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus. It has also been defined as "nutrient-induced increase in phytopla ...

is well advanced. However, an improvement in water quality is still being sought. The moor area of the Ossen lowland near

Buschvitz Buschvitz is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Rügen district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe ...

was renatured and an open connection created between the Ossen and the Kleiner Jasmunder Bodden. The dam to the Great Jasmunder Bodden and the dam between Stedar and the Pulitz peninsula are also to be opened. By the Kleiner Jasmunder Bodden is a 9.8 kilometre long circular walk that starts at

. The trail is classed as moderate and is used by hikers, runners and ornithologists.At the Kleiner Jasmunder Bodden
at alltrails.com. Retrieved 30 Sep 2021.

References

External links

{{Authority control Vorpommern-Rügen Geography of Rügen North Rügen Bodden