Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
The majority of the delta is used intensively by man and comprises agricultural land, settlements, wetlands, sand-dunes and beaches. Akgöl lake is a permanent nutrient-rich freshwater lake supporting rich marsh vegetation (including extensive
Potamogeton,
Scirpus,
Typha and
Phragmites beds). Saltmarsh surrounds the major lakes; the dunes are of particular conservation interest due to their intact and dynamic nature.
The site is of major importance for a range of breeding waterbirds, including the largest numbers of
Marmaronetta angustirostris known in Turkey. It is also important for wintering raptors and waterbirds, and as a stop-over site for large numbers of
Pelecanus onocrotalus and
Ciconia ciconia. Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria:
Haliaeetus albicilla (wintering) and
Larus audouinii. 332 bird species have been recorded, 90 are thought to breed.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Planned dam and reservoir construction on the Göksu river will stop sediment inputs to the delta. Large areas of dune and marsh have been illegally converted to agriculture. A new drainage and irrigation project will lead to further intensification, increased nutrient and agrochemical inputs, and changes in the hydrological regime. Industrial discharges may adversely affect fisheries; illegal trawling is common. From 1990 to 1998 DHKD and others ran a project aimed at developing an integrated management plan.
National High
International High4,350 ha of IBA covered by Permanent Wildlife Reserve (Göksu Deltasý, 4,350 ha). 14,480 ha of IBA covered by SÝT (Göksu Deltasý, 14,480 ha). 8,650 ha of IBA covered by Ramsar Site (Göksu Deltasý, 8,650 ha). 14,480 ha of IBA covered by Mediterranean Specially Protected Area (Göksu Deltasý, 23,600 ha).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Göksu Delta (Türkiye). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/göksu-delta-iba-türkiye on 22/11/2024.
