• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

Site description (2000 baseline)
A former oxbow of the River Seyhan, this is the largest lagoon in the çukurova delta (max. 7,500 ha, max. depth 4 m). Its salinity fluctuates with wet season run-off and inputs of drainage water. A narrow belt of reed Phragmites and rush occurs along the shore; extensive mudflats appear during the summer. Sand-dunes separate the sea from the lake, which is otherwise surrounded by arable land. Also includes the seasonal Yemiþli lake, which extends to 800 ha during wet winters.

Key biodiversity
This is an important area for breeding waterbirds, large numbers of wintering waterbirds and as a stop-over site for passage waders. The dunes provide breeding and staging habitat for warblers. A 1990 WIWO study revealed that passage waders remain for relatively short periods due to the poor feeding conditions. Yemiþli lake formerly held the only known Turkish breeding population of Porphyrio porphyrio outside of the Göksu delta (site 073).

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Akyatan Lake. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/akyatan-lake-iba-turkey on 02/10/2023.