İĞNEADA LAKES AND LONGOZ FORESTS NATIONAL PARK

Area Descriptions

The lakes within the borders of İğneada are famous with its multiple species of fishes and oxygen-rich atmosphere. Although İğneada has 7 lakes, the most important ones are Mert Lake, Hamam Lake, Erikli Lake and Saka Lake. The first lake “Mert Lake” is just about 12 Kms far away from the Bulgarian border. It is known that, in the lagoons of İğneada, in the lakes, on the wetlands and on the streams 30 different species of fish live. According to the the Berne Convention 8 species of fish are described as "species in need of protection". These are Chalcalburnuschalcoides, Syngnathus abaster, Neogobiusfluviatilis, Aspius Aspius, Alburnoidesbipunctatus, Rhodeus Amarus, CobitisTaenia Chondrostoma Nasus. Mert Lake has the highest diversity of fish between those lakes. Hamam and Pedina Lakes can also be defined as an accommadation point for birds, wild ducks and swans coming from Bulgaria, Russia and from the Danube River.

The Longoz forests which are completely covered with water during winter and spring has a floristic composition of mixed forest trees of 8-15 meters tall. The mixed forests consist of trees named “ dişbudak, kayın, saplı meşe, sapsız meşe, ova akaçaağacı, çınar yapraklı akçaağaç, üvez, ıhlamur, kızılağaç, mürver, kızılcık, karaağaç, gürgen”. Since the alluvial soils have more intensive micro-organism activities, the forests and the other plants in this region start vegetation earlier than the other plants. The protection of the habitat of these forests has crucial importance. Because, these forests are not only a rare natural value for Turkey but also for Europe.

Hamam Lake: This lake, 20 Kms south of İğneada, which is surrounded by forestland is 2 Kms to the Black Sea and 20 meters elevation from sea level. Its square measure is 19 hectares and the deepest point is 2.6 meters.

The lake which is supplied by numerous streams from inside the forest transfers excess water into Bulanık Stream through a channel in the Southeast. Perch and crayfish take an important place in the fauna of the lake.

Saka Lake Longoz: It is in the south of İğneada and was formed through the filling of Bulanık Stream. The lake has nearly 5 hectares of land with reed fields. This land is submerged in Spring and Autumn due to the increase in water levels and is a longoz found rare in Turkey and Europe.

There are alders, witch elms, European ashes, oaks, hornbeams, common beeches, black poplars, willow trees, limes and walnut trees in the longoz. It was declared as a protected area in 1988.

Pedina Lake: This lake which is 25 Kms south of İğneada and 5 Kms west of Hamam Lake is fully in the forest like Hamam Lake. The square measure of the lake is 10 Hectares and the deepest point is 2.10 meters. The lake which is supplied bu numerous streams from inside the forest and also by Pedina Stream transfers excess water into Bulanık Stream through a channel. İğneada region has a rich biological diversity and natural balance in the region was not disturbed. Approxtimately 670 plants exist in the region. Mammals such as deer, roe-deer, wild boar, wolf, fox, jackal, wildcat, weasel, mustelid, bat, otter and 194 bird species such as pygmy, cormorant, white-tailed eagle, lesser kestrel, grey-headed woodpecker, lizard, green lizard, copper skink, snake, turtle and insects such as butterfly and fish such as anchovy, monkey goby, wolfish, spirlin, narroe-snouted pipefish, bitterling, painted comber live in İğneada longoz forest region.