İznik Lake (777)
Turkey, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2004
National site name: İznik Gölü
Central coordinates: Latitude: 40.4333, Longitude: 29.5167
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 87 to 87
Area of KBA (km2): 379.7833
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A tectonic freshwater lake with a max. depth of 80 m. Small deltas supporting extensive reedbeds (Phragmites) have formed where streams enter the lake; a levee has been constructed to prevent flooding. Arable land, olive groves and Populus plantations surround the lake. Water is abstracted for industrial and irrigation purposes. The town of Ýznik attracts many tourists.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: The site is important for breeding waterbirds.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (5%) | fisheries/aquaculture (10%) | tourism/recreation (10%) | urban/industrial/transport (25%) | water management (95%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 5 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 95 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: From the small amount of data available, it appears that the lake was more important from an ornithological perspective prior to its conversion to a reservoir in 1963 (it is assumed that large areas of reed and marsh have been lost). Work is under way to substantially increase the land area under irrigation. Untreated industrial and urban waste is discharged to the lake˜recent algal blooms and mass fish-kills indicate the scale of the problem.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Abstraction of surface water (commercial use) | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents | Herbicides and pesticides | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Dams (size unknown) | Ongoing |