Kops Reservoir

After you have had a rest at Lake Zeinis, it isn’t very far to the Kops Reservoir.  Like on the path between Outer and Inner Tafamunt, and around the Wiege, you can see various species of moor plants.  They grow right along the embankment here so they are really easy to see. 
Besides the special flora elements of the small bio-topes, the species rich slopes underneath the Fluhspitzen are worth looking at with respect to how they came about.  The richness of species that makes these slopes stand out from the rest can be explained by a special natural space situation.  A steady supply of stony erosion material comes from the slopes above.  Due to the constant movement of minerals on the top layer of soil, mineral nutrients for the plants are set free.  In addition, the implementation of plant litter and oxygenation of the soil through the mechanical destruction of the top layer of soil is encouraged.  This is how the characteristics of the original meadows that were fertilized regularly by nature, were able to produce an impressive increase of plant life since the disappearance of water in post glacier times.
In the meantime, there is a clear view between Ganifer and Zeinisjoch.  Crossing the water course that seems to have come out of nowhere, reminds us of the next leg of our journey – the Kops Reservoir.  The water course, which makes nice background noise all the way down to the Kops Reservoir, comes out of a tunnel between Lake Zeinis and Kops.  Starting from the outgoing feeder at the Verbella Brook, the tunnel runs north east of the path used to between the Alpe Verbella and Lake Zeinis.  It runs underground and crosses the path once just before Lake Zeinis and once just past it. After the ascent to the high valley around Zeinisjoch, the hiking trail joins the street to the Zeinisjoch house.  Directly behind this long standing Alpine guesthouse lies the Zeinis basin.  South of the Zeinisjoch house, the wall of the Kops Reservoir looms up.