The Fochteloërveen is part of the remains of a vast peat moor in the northern part of the Netherlands. Most of the peat has been dug out in the past. Like all Dutch peat areas the quality of the habitats, especially of active raised bog, was impoverished severely during the last decades. In 1999 the hydrological conditions of the most species rich peat area of the peat bog were improved by an ingenious combination of dams. The project resulted in the active development of Sphagnum species and other characteristic peat bog species in this area.