Lina Myr

Vanished Wetland of Gotland

Lina Myr stood as Gotland's final expansive moor, covering 900-920 hectares in the island's northern half, roughly ten kilometers from the west coast. Nearly rectangular in shape, it rested on a limestone bedrock typical of Gotland's Silurian geology, formed 400 million years ago in a warm, shallow sea. The moor featured two significant lakes—Lina Träsk, also called Flatmen, and Råby Träsk—spanning about 50 hectares combined. These were linked by the Hörsneån stream, Gotland's longest river, which flows into Gothemsån and empties into the sea near Åminne, south of Slite.Water fed the area mainly from spring meltwater via Källungeån from the west and Landån from the south, with low annual precipitation shaping its character as predominantly low moor and swamp. The central zone burst with lush reed vegetation, supporting a vibrant ecosystem before human intervention.

Drainage and Transformation

In the mid-20th century, water level reductions began in 1947, systematically drying the moor for agricultural use. This marked the end of Lina Myr as a wetland, converting its watery expanse into usable land. The process erased much of the original hydrology, though traces persist in the altered terrain and remaining waterways. Nearby Roma Kloster, a medieval site, borders the area, hinting at historical human presence since the Middle Ages, with the moor possibly dating to that era.The drainage reflected broader efforts to reclaim land on Gotland, where mires and lakes once dotted the landscape post-Ice Age. Geological studies highlight how the island's post-glacial rebound elevated higher parts above ancient Baltic ice lakes around 15,000 years ago, setting the stage for such wetlands.

Flora and Fauna Legacy

Before drainage, Lina Myr boasted exceptional biodiversity. Its flora thrived in the nutrient-rich low moor conditions, while the birdlife ranked among Sweden's top eight wetland sites in 1940 inventories. Approximately 100 species bred there, with 57 regularly present in the 1930s and 1940s. Highlights included breeding populations of meadow pipits, black-headed gulls, shoveler ducks, northern lapwings, wood sandpipers, redshanks, curlews, corncrakes, spotted crakes, red-backed shrikes, red-breasted flycatchers, black woodpeckers, and cuckoos.Less common breeders like little gulls, dunlins, little terns, wrynecks, nightjars, and marsh harriers also nested. Today, many species have vanished with the wetland, but curlews and corncrakes persist in reduced numbers, underscoring the site's enduring ecological value amid the changed environment.

Geological and Hydrological Foundations

Gotland's limestone underpins Lina Myr's story, deposited during the Silurian period amid coral reefs in an ancient sea linking to what is now the Indian Ocean. Post-glacial processes sculpted the terrain: ice masses ground and deposited moraine, followed by isostatic rebound that lifted the island. The moor formed in a depression, sustained by seasonal inflows rather than rain, creating a dynamic habitat.Streams like Hörsneån carved paths through the landscape, supporting freshwater mussels historically found here, as noted in early 20th-century records. The site's elevation varied slightly—13.1 meters in the south, 10.6 in the north—reflecting subtle topographic shifts over millennia.

Cultural Ties to Roma Kloster

Adjacent to Roma Kloster in Romakloster village, Lina Myr intertwined with local history. Medieval records link the area to the cloister, with undrained mires nearby preserving ancient land use patterns. Picture stones and archaeological finds from the region evoke Gotland's Viking and medieval past, though the moor itself served more as a natural backdrop than a cultural centerpiece.This proximity invites reflection on how wetlands shaped rural life, providing resources like reeds and wildlife while challenging expansion until modern drainage techniques prevailed.