A small proportion of the reeds on the Bienen Old Rhine have been suppressed by willow thickets growing up.

Selected former reed locations are to be cleared again to restore the reeds as a habitat for water and reed birds, for example bittern, garganey or reed warblers. No protected woods or habitats will be removed. The valuable woods, for example floodplain woodlands, will remain untouched.

In total, approx. 3 hectares of woodland will be cleared from the Bienen Old Rhine and the Millinger Sea. The willows shrubs and trees will be felled first of all. Then the willow stumps will be pulled up and disposed of. The resultant holes will be filled with soil from the location. The work will be carried out in the winter and only when the weather is appropriate so that the vehicles cause as little damage as possible.

To ensure that the cleared areas remain as reed areas in future, new young willow that grows each year will be pulled up by hand.