Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
A large, shallow (max. depth 6 m), nutrient-rich freshwater lake on the south side of the Sea of Marmara. The lake is fed principally by the Mustafakemalpaþa river and contains four islands. Silt deposition has formed an inland delta largely under agriculture; the western and southern shores of the lake support vast reedbeds (
Phragmites). Fisheries are the main economic activity; lake water is used for irrigation.
This site is important for both breeding and wintering waterbirds. Up to 429,500 waterbirds were present in winter 1996, representing the highest count at any Turkish site since 1970.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Agricultural intensification threatens the remaining natural deltaic habitats. A further reduction in the lake's inflow will result from the planned construction of a reservoir on a major tributary of the Mustafakemalpaþa river, 20 km south-east of the lake. The possible effects on the lake's ecosystem are unknown. Large quantities of urban and industrial waste and agricultural run-off enter the lake, and further nutrient enrichment may pose a serious threat. Despite existing regulations, out-of-season and excessive fishing is widespread.
National None
International High13,000 ha of IBA covered by Ramsar Site (Uluabat Gölü, 13,000 ha).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Uluabat Lake (Türkiye). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/uluabat-lake-iba-türkiye on 23/12/2024.
