The Site consists of an extensive area of permanent shallow lakes, marshes and canals characterized by fenland, reedbeds and wet meadows surrounded by swamp forests. The development of peat was possible due to seepage of water from surrounding higher ground and the influence of the River Vecht. The lakes are a result of past peat extraction activities. The boundaries of the Site were adjusted in 2013 to match those of the Natura 2000 Site, with some residential areas and the Trekgaten recreational area excluded. The Site is home to the globally vulnerable beetle Graphoderus bilineatus and the Desmoulin’s whorl snail (Vertigo moulinsiana). It regularly supports more than 20,000 wintering waterbirds and more than 1% of the individuals of the North-West and Central European populations of Northern shoveler (Spatula clypeata) and gadwall (Mareca strepera). Since 2010, otters have once more been observed. Human activities include conservation and research, commercial fisheries, water management, tourism and farming. Threats include drainage, nutrient pollution from the surrounding farmland and the impacts of recreational activities. The Dutch Bird Research Organisation coordinates a national bird monitoring programme at the Site.