Hersek Lagoon, located in Altınova district of Yalova as the only private-registered lake in Turkey, is an internationally important wetland ecosystem and also an important bird area.
Hersek Lagoon, a shallow lagoon lake with a size of approximately 152 hectares, is located on the tourism cruise route determined within the scope of the Yalova Province Blue Road Project. Located in the most densely populated Marmara Region of Turkey, the Lagoon is under pressure from both the human population and various usage demands and this situation threatens the wildlife in the area.
Within the scope of the Evaluation of Hersek Lake as a Wetland Ecosystem Project supported by the Eastern Marmara Development Agency (MARKA), it was aimed to reveal the importance of Lake Hersek in terms of bird existence and a suitable infrastructure for bird watching in the area was proposed.
Within the scope of the project carried out between May and June 2011;
• As a wetland ecosystem, Hersek Lagoon has been evaluated in terms of physical, biological, socio-economic and cultural aspects,
• The factors that may affect the ecological character of the area in the short, medium and long terms were determined and measures to prevent them were proposed by doing problem analysis,
• The records of bird observations made in the area in the past were examined and evaluated,
• Bird species that breed and use the area during spring were determined,
• Suitable routes and observation points have been determined for bird watching,
• Appropriate structures for bird watching (bird observatory and/or observation tower) have been proposed,
• Two days of training on bird watching was given to local youths in order to start bird watching activities in the region.
You can access the report of the project here.