Ramsar Sites of Turkey - Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

Lake Uluabat <strong>Ramsar</strong> Site meets 4 out <strong>of</strong> 9 criteria for identifying wetlands <strong>of</strong>
international importance. These are;;
RAMSAR CRITERIA DESCRIPTION SULTAN MARSHES
Criteria 2 The site supports
threatened and vulnerable
species listed in
International Union for
Conservation <strong>of</strong> Nature
(IUCN) red list categories.
The site supports threatened pelican
(Pelecanus crispus), near threatened
medicinal leeches (Hirudo medicinalis)
as well as vulnerable plant species such
as Sagitaria sagittifolia and Stachys
palustris.
Criteria 4
Criteria 5
Criteria 8
An important site for the
critical phases <strong>of</strong> biological
cycle <strong>of</strong> mammal and bird
species.
The site regularly supports
large numbers <strong>of</strong>
waterbirds.
An important site for fish
species.
European river otter (Lutra lutra) is an
internationally protected species
inhabiting in the environs <strong>of</strong> Lake
Uluabat. Additionally many waterbirds
use the site for resting, wintering and
breeding every year.
429.437 waterbirds in 1996, 25.000 in
2002,
55.089 in 2007 are recorded in the site.
The site is critical for fish in terms <strong>of</strong>
breeding and feeding.
MANAGEMENT PLAN
Ministry <strong>of</strong> Environment and Forestry Directorate General <strong>of</strong> Nature Conservation and
Natural Parks is the competent authority responsible for the activities within the wetland
and <strong>Ramsar</strong> site boundaries. The local competent authority is Bursa Directorate <strong>of</strong>
Environment and Forestry.
HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS
Karst springs in the bottom and immediates <strong>of</strong> the lake and the streamlets reaching the
lake during rainy seasons also feed it. Besides, the drainage water <strong>of</strong> the agriculture
lands in the southeast <strong>of</strong> the lake is another inflow. The inflow to the lake remarkably
Susurluk Streams so into Sea Marmara through these streams. When the lake water
In the books and articles, sometimes even recent publications mention the surface area
<strong>of</strong> Lake Uluabat as 160 km2. The mentioned area, however, has been narrowed down by
coasts <strong>of</strong> Lake Uluabat to obtain fertile agriculture lands and prevent flat or almost flat
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