After Marmara Lake dried up in Manisa, the new destination for water birds became the wetland filled by the nearby State Hydraulic Works (DSI) regulator.
Marmara Lake, an alluvial barrier lake located between the Salihli and Gölmarmara districts, was transformed into a reservoir by the DSI in 1945 through the construction of barriers, eventually reaching a water capacity of 320 million cubic meters.
However, due to drought and illegal irrigation, the water level in the lake decreased year by year.
The lake, which was home to approximately 20,000 water birds, including endangered species such as the Dalmatian pelican and the pygmy cormorant, and where locals used to fish for carp, was declared a “Wetland of National Importance” in 2017 but has completely dried up in recent years.
The lost habitat for water birds at Marmara Lake has been replaced by the wetland around the regulator, located about 7 kilometers (4.35 miles) from the area, built by the DSI to direct, raise and regulate the flow of water from the Gediz River into agricultural irrigation channels.
Many species, including migratory birds and waterfowl, have started to be seen around the edges of the water source and regulator and its surroundings have become a natural habitat for birds such as herons, grey herons, magpies, storks and doves.
Birds that had lived at Marmara Lake for years have now shifted their routes to this wetland.
