Lake Bakhtegan ( fa, دریاچۀ بختگان) was a
salt lake
A salt lake or saline lake is a landlocked body of water that has a concentration of salts (typically sodium chloride) and other dissolved minerals significantly higher than most lakes (often defined as at least three grams of salt per litre). ...
in
Fars Province, southern
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Tu ...
, about east of
Shiraz
Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the population of the city was 1,565,572 pe ...
and west of the town of
Neyriz.
Bakhtegan, with a surface area of , was Iran's second-largest lake. It was fed by the
Kor River.
["Bakhtegan Ecology Alarming", Iran Daily, Aug. 9, 2007](_blank)
/ref> The construction of several dams on the Kor River had significantly reduced the water flow into the lake, increased its salinity
Salinity () is the saltiness or amount of salt dissolved in a body of water, called saline water (see also soil salinity). It is usually measured in g/L or g/kg (grams of salt per liter/kilogram of water; the latter is dimensionless and equal t ...
, and extirpated the lake's populations of flamingo
Flamingos or flamingoes are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbean ...
s and other migratory bird
Bird migration is the regular seasonal movement, often north and south along a flyway, between breeding and wintering grounds. Many species of bird migrate. Migration carries high costs in predation and mortality, including from hunting by ...
s.
Description
Lake Bakhtegan, once Iran's second largest lake, was fed mostly by the Kur River, while Lake Tashk was fed by overflow from the marshes at its west end and by a large permanent spring in the northwest.
Despite being naturally segregated by narrow strips of land, they used to join to form a single lake during years of heavy rainfall. Conversely, during drought periods, such as in 1934, 1971, and the following years after 2008, the lakes dry out completely except in the area near the springs. It is worthy to mention that the lakes are completely dry today and the ecosystem has altered permanently.
Supporting more than 20,000 waterfowls during the migration seasons, the lakes are notoriously important for breeding of a wide variety of species and helping to maintain the biological and ecological diversity of the region.
The two lakes, their delta and spring-fed marshes are designated as Wetlands of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an international treaty established in 1971, establishing a framework for the stewardship and preservation of wetlands.
References
External links
Columbia Encyclopedia entry
{{Protected Areas of Iran
Lakes of Iran
Landforms of Fars Province
Saline lakes of Asia