Directory of Iranian Wetlands Designated Under the Ramsar Convention

Directory ofIranian Wetlands Wetlands are the place where land and water unite. Existence of wetlands date back to the time when the earth began life. Wetlands host the richest biodiversity and they are among the most beautiful spots on Earth. They have been the source of inspiration for painters, travelers, poets and photographers. Wetlands are important to the planet in many ways to mention but a few functions would be: preserving genetic storages of animals and plants, water provision DOE (quality and quantity), habitat for water creatures (more than two third of fish hatcheries in the world depend their crops on wetlands’ health), agricultural crops and products (through water provision and feeding elements), lumber production, energy provision, production of mud and plant material, transportation, leisure and tourism functions. The world cannot be without wetlands, We cannot be without wetlands. There is no alternative, Directory of Iranian They have to be preserved. Designated under the Ramsar Convention The climatic and geographical variations of Iran have resulted in Wetlands Designated under forming of a wide diversity of wetlands from Mangrove forests and coral reefs to Mountain lakes and saline desert marshes. More than 84 wetlands of international importance have been identified in Iran of the Ramsar Convention which 33 under 22 titles have been recognized by the Ramsar convention. This book introduces these 22 Ramsar sites. Second Edition

Masoud Bagherzadeh Karimi

Mahbod Rouhany

Forest for Water for Wetlands Department Of Environment Deputy of Natural Environment & Biodiversity Habitats & Protected Areas Bureau

Directory of Iranian Wetlands Designated under the Ramsar Convention

Second Edition

Masoud MSc. Watershed Management DOE - Wetland Expert Bagherzadeh Karimi [email protected]

Mahbod Rouhany MSc. Environmental Technology [email protected]

February 2011

Contents

Acknowledgements 3 Preface 4 How to Use this Book 5 Introduction 7 Wetlands and Their Values 8 International Convention for Preservation of Wetlands 11 Iran and the Ramsar convention 12 Previous Criteria for Selection of Wetlands 13 New Criteria for Selection of Wetlands 16 Wetland Types 18 Iranian Wetlands Designated under the Ramsar Convention 23

1 Directory of Iranian Ramsar Sites

Alagol, Ulmagol and Ajigol Lakes 29

Amirkelayeh Lake 38

Anzali Mordab (Talab) complex 47

Bandar Kiashahr Lagoon and mouth of Sefid Rud 60

+- Deltas of Rud-e-Gaz and Rud-e-Hara 69

Deltas of Rud-e-Shur, Rud-e-Shirin and Rud-e-Minab 78

Fereydoon Kenar, Ezbaran & Sorkh Ruds Ab-Bandans 87

Gavkhouni Lake and marshes of the lower Zaindeh Rud 96

Gomishan Lagoon 105

Govater Bay and Hur-e-Bahu 114

Hamun-e-Puzak, south end Hamun-e-Saberi & Hamun-e-Helmand 124 Khuran Straits 141 Lake Gori 152 Lake Kobi 161 Lake Orumiyeh 168 Lake Parishan and Dasht-e-Arjan 182 Miankaleh Peninsula, Gorgan Bay and Lapoo-Zaghmarz Ab-bandan 195 Neiriz Lakes & Kamjan Marshes 206 Shadegan Marshes & mudflats of Khor-al Amaya & Khor Musa 219 Sheedvar Island 231 Shurgol, Yadegarlu & Dorgeh Sangi Lakes 239 References 249

2 Introduction

Aknowledgments

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the following people that had a significant role in the completion of this book:

Mr. Anoshiravan Najafi:

Previous deputy of the Natural environment of DOE

Dr. Mohammad Bagher Sadugh: deputy of the Natural environment of DOE

Ms. Yasaman Rajabkhah: Director of Ramsar Regional Center in West and Central Asia;

Ms. Arezu Ashrafizadeh: Wetland Expert

Mr. Ali Bali: Senior expert of GIS

Mr. Arash Bahmanpour: GIS expert;

3 Directory of Iranian Ramsar Sites

Preface

The main goal in preparing the present guidebook is to increase the awareness of individuals, concerned for wetlands, about various values and functions of wetlands especially those of international importance located in Iran.

Wetlands are very sensitive ecosystems therfore every single individual and all those who benefit from them in a way or another, should do their utmost in protecting and preserving these valuable natural resources and try to use them in the wisest way possible and this would not be within reach unless wew bring about an increase in the publics awareness and information about wetlands and their functions. The 1971 Ramsar convention on preserving the wetlands is the only international ecosystem-related treaty signed in Iran and it would be appropriate for

Iranians to have adequate information about it.

Considering the large scope of an audience this book will have that would include university professors, university students, students, fishermen, local people residing near these wetlands, government authorities, non- governmental organisatons, private sector entrepreneurs, judicial authorities, etc. the author has focused on having an eye on technical and scientific points of view, proper for a guide like this, and using simple and day-today concepts that lend themselves to easy understanding by

4 Introduction

laymen. The authors and the preparing team have done their utmost to pack the book with as much scientific content as was possible concerning the time limit and their technical expertise and would like to ask the respected readers to inform them of any factual or printing errors and omissions.

How to use this book

In this book the point of view is a general and comprehensive one of the wetlands registered in Ramsar convention.

All Ramsar site wetlands have been introduced with a different color scheme except for the two Hamoun wetlands which have been introduced under one title as a result of their geographical and ecological conditions.

In the beginning of each section, the location of the given wetland has been marked by a and the other internationally recognised wetlands by a on a map of Iran. In the beginning of each part the latitude and the longitude of each wetland is mentioned. The title for introduction of each Ramsar site is selected in the following order and an explanation for each title is given next to it.

In the general overview section the letter and number signs used in

Ramsar convention documents have been used for introduction of each wetland and the criteria for indentifying of the wetlands as

5 Directory of Iranian Ramsar Sites internationally significant. The explanations for these signs have been given in the introduction part of this guidebook. Since all Ramsar sites except for Fereydoonkenar have been introduced to the convention with the old criteria and the convention has introduced new criteria since, for better use of this guidebook both old and new criteria for each site have been mentioned. Regarding the illustrations and photographs,despite the limitation of resources, all efforts have been made in order to consider and show different aspects of the wetland including its general spectacle, ecosystems, habitats and different species of animals and plants.

Eventually, it is also needed to be clarified that all statistical figures included in the text are mainly driven from the convention documents and in specific cases (due to some errors) have been taken from reliable internal sources.

6 Introduction

Introduction

Life of Earth depends on water. Wetlands are critical living creatures that have to be preserved for global and mankind salvation and preservation of a large variety of animals and plants that depend on wetlands for their lives. Wetlands are the place where land and water unite. Existence of wetlands date back to the time when the earth came into being and they are home to the largest ecological and zoological varieties. They can be found all across the globe from the equator to frost-bitten moors. For the Earth’s health and balance wetlands are equally important as any other natural body. They are also among the most beautiful spots on Earth and have also been the source of inspiration for painters, travelers, poets and photographers. It is not a surprise that wetlands are host to a surprisingly large variety of wild animals: from king fishers to alligators, from albatrosses to hippos and a large variety of plant life and water creatures. Wetlands have different sizes that range from very small ponds to 10 million hectare bays in

Canada. Large or small, north or south wetlands all have similar function: food source, fuel source, holiday resort and creating employment opportunities, preserving a large group of wild life that will go extinct without them and preserving the life of millions of people from floods, storms and sea waves.

7 Directory of Iranian Ramsar Sites

Finally, there is no second choice; it is not possible to imagine a world without wetlands. Man can cohabitate and live together with nature or can continue to tyrannically exhaust its resources. We have the choice.

The world cannot be without wetlands.

Introduction for Second Edition

Wetlands are one of our more important natural resources because of the many environmental and economic benefits that they provide.

However, at one time, people thought of wetlands as being “useless wastelands.

There are more than 50 definitions of wetlands used throughout the world, but the broadest and most international is provided by the

Ramsar Convention, which defines wetlands as "areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters.

Ramsar further incorporates into its consideration for listing "riparian and coastal zones adjacent to the wetlands, and islands or bodies of marine water deeper than six meters at low tide lying within the wetlands".

Wetlands constitute a resource of great economic, cultural, scientific and recreational value to human life, and are an essential 8 Introduction

habitat for numerous threatened and endangered species of flora and fauna.

Wetlands also play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of nature. They have an important role in Carbon fixation, erosion control/shoreline stabilization, flood control, water supply, groundwater discharge, sediment/toxicant retention, nutrient retention, biomass export, eco-tourism and water transport.

In their natural state, wetlands perform ecological functions that are vitally important to the environment and economic health of the nation and impossible or costly to replace.

Masoud Bagherzadeh Karimi Jan. 2011

9 Directory of Iranian Ramsar Sites

Wetlands and their value

A wetland is an environment where water is the main factor in the habitat for the animals and the plants. Wetlands are usually formed when a large body of water is on the surface of the Earth or very close to the surface in other words an area of land covered with shallow waters. There are different definitions and interpretations of the word and the most referred to is the definition introduced by the international convention on preserving wetlands: Article 1.1 provides that wetlands are:

“areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters."

Additionally, in Article 2.1 of the same convention it is mentioned that wetlands: “may incorporate riparian and coastal zones adjacent to the wetlands, and islands or bodies of marine water deeper than six metres at low tide lying within the wetlands”

Considering these definitions wetlands include different habitats including rivers, lakes, coastlines, mangrove forests, swamps and even coral riffs. In addition artificial wetlands such as pools for fish and

10 Introduction

shrimp hatchery, irrigation pools, land under cultivation, salt derivation pools on salty shores, water preservation pools, sand beds of rivers and water channels can also be included in this general definition.

Wetlands are among world’s most generative and productive environments. Rice for example, which is a crop that provides more than half of the world’s population with food is a wetland product. They are the cradle for the world’s various habitats that prepare the bed for the survival of a large group of animal and plant life by providing these species with their major need that is water. Wetlands provide for large numbers of species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and unvertebrates. Among 20,000 different species of fish worldwide, more than 40% live in wetlands. They are also considered as big banks of genetic material (inheritance) for plant life. Scientists and economists are increasingly working on evaluation and study of values and functions of natural ecosystems like wetlands. This heavy task is faced with a lot of estimations and suspicion; however, there is no other choice than making progress in this field. Some of the latest research in this field, indicate a minimum of $33 trillion worth of services generated by ecosystems and

$4.9 trillion out of that is done by wetlands.

Interaction between physical, biological and chemical elements of a wetland like soil, water, animals and plants make a wetland have different

11 Directory of Iranian Ramsar Sites functions. Among these can be: water preservation, protection against storms and reducing the destruction caused by floods, stabilizing coastlines and limiting erosion, reviving underground water bodies (taking water from wetlands under the ground), emptying underground waters

(sending water up to the surface), water purification through stabilizing soluble elements, dust and other polluting material and stabilizing the local climate especially the temperature.

Among numerous economic values of wetlands the following can be pointed out: preserving genetic storages of animals and plants, water provision

(quality and quantity), habitat for water creatures (more than two third of fish hatcheries in the world depend their crops on wetlands’ health), agricultural crops and products (through water provision and feeding elements), lumber production, energy provision, production of mud and plant material, transportation, leisure and tourism functions. Additionally, wetlands are significant in a way that they are a part of man’s cultural heritage. They are linked to world views and religious beliefs, are an inspirational source for aesthetics, create a refuge for wildlife and for the foundation for important local traditions.

12 Introduction

International Convention for Preservation of Wetlands

The Ramsar Convention is generally regarded as the first of the modern intergovernmental agreements on the environment. It deals with wetlands and remains the only inter-governmental agreement devoted to a broadly defined group of ecosystems. When adopted at an international conference in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971, it incorporated two concepts which have since been widely accepted in other conventions and legal instruments: international listing of important sites (in Ramsar's case the "List of Wetlands of International Importance"); and the "wise use" principle which has been interpreted by member governments as being synonymous with "sustainable use". In the early years of the implementation of the Convention, the main emphasis was placed on designation of sites for the Ramsar List; at present the 160 Contracting

Parties have designated above 1800 sites, covering a total area of almost

180,000,000 hectares, or 1800,000 square kilometres, representing some

19% of the world’s wetlands. In recent years, ever greater attention has been paid to the wise use concept and to the development and implementation of National Wetland Policies, or at least, to the inclusion of wetland concerns in national biodiversity strategies or national environment action plans. Thus, the principal focus has shifted to the incorporation of wetland concerns into a national land and water use plan, and to multisectoral co-ordination of the approach to conservation and 13 Directory of Iranian Ramsar Sites wise use of wetlands with government ministries, agencies and other interested institutions.

The Montreux Record, so called because it was adopted at the 4th meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties in Montreux

(Switzerland) in 1990, identifies Ramsar sites that are in need of priority conservation attention at national or international level, and is maintained as part of the Ramsar database.

Iran and the Ramsar Convention

As the host country of the initial conference in Ramsar in 1971, the I.R. of Iran has always had a special symbolic role in the promotion and implementation of the Convention. The I.R. of Iran was one of the first seven Contracting Parties which brought the Convention into force on 21

December 1975. At the time of accession it designated 18 wetlands for the Ramsar List, covering an area of 1,357,000 hectares. It remains one of the few states which has designated more than a million hectares

(1,481,147 ha in 2010) of wetlands for the List. After the Islamic

Revolution, the I.R. of Iran has maintained its close involvement in the operation of the Convention, taking part in most meetings of the

Conference of the Parties, and including 7 Ramsar sites on the Montreux

Record. Newly (2010), Aji Gol, Ala Gol and Alma Gol complex wetlands are one of the Ramsar sites listed in Montreux Record that have been

14 Introduction

improved and removed from this list. The administrative authority responsible for implementing the Convention is the Department of the

Environment.

The Previous Criteria for Identifying Wetlands of

International Importance

These are not the Criteria presently in use, however as most Iranian wetlands have been selected based on these criteria and most national documents for these wetlands refer to these criteria they have been presented in this book.

A wetland is identified as being of international importance if it meets at least one of the criteria set out below:

1. Criteria for representative or unique wetlands

A wetland should be considered internationally important if:

(a) it is a particularly good representative example of a natural or

near-natural wetland, characteristic of the appropriate

biogeographical region; or

(b) it is a particularly good representative example of a natural or

near-natural wetland, common to more than one biogeographical

region; or

15 Directory of Iranian Ramsar Sites

(c)it is a particularly good representative example of a wetland which

plays a substantial hydrological, biological or ecological role in the

natural functioning of an major river basin or coastal system,

especially where it is located in a trans-border position; or

(d) it is an example of a specific type of wetland, rare or unusual in

the appropriate biogeographical region.

2. General criteria based on plants or animals

A wetland should be considered internationally important if:

(a) it supports an appreciable assemblage of rare, vulnerable or

endangered species or subspecies of plant or animal, or an

appreciable number of individuals of any one or more of these

species; or

(b) it is of special value for maintaining the genetic and ecological

diversity of a region because of the quality and peculiarities of its

flora and fauna; or

critical stage of their biological cycle; or

(d) it is of special value for one or more endemic plant or animal

species or communities.

3. Specific criteria based on waterfowl

16 Introduction

A wetland should be considered internationally important if:

(a) it regularly supports 20,000 waterfowl; or

(b) it regularly supports substantial numbers of individuals from

particular groups of waterfowl, indicative of wetland values,

productivity or diversity; or

of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of

waterfowl.

4. Specific criteria based on fish

A wetland should be considered internationally important if:

(a) it supports a significant proportion of indigenous fish subspecies,

species or families, life-history stages, species interactions and/or

populations that are representative of wetland benefits and/or

values and thereby contributes to global biological diversity; or

(b) it is an important source of food for fishes, spawning ground,

nursery and/or migration path on which fish stocks, either within the

wetland or elsewhere, depend.

17 Directory of Iranian Ramsar Sites

The (Latest) Criteria for Identifying Wetlands of

International Importance

These are the Criteria presently in use:

Group A of the Criteria. Sites containing representative, rare or unique wetland types

Criterion 1: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it contains a representative, rare, or unique example of a natural or near- natural wetland type found within the appropriate biogeographic region.

Group B of the Criteria. Sites of international importance for conserving biological diversity

Criteria based on species and ecological communities

Criterion 2: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it supports vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species or threatened ecological communities.

Criterion 3: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it supports populations of plant and/or animal species important for maintaining the biological diversity of a particular biogeographic region.

Criterion 4: A wetland should be considered internationally important if 18 Introduction

it supports plant and/or animal species at a critical stage in their life cycles, or provides refuge during adverse conditions.

Specific criteria based on waterbirds

Criterion 5: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it regularly supports 20,000 or more waterbirds.

Criterion 6: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of waterbird.

Specific criteria based on fish

Criterion 7: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it supports a significant proportion of indigenous fish subspecies, species or families, life-history stages, species interactions and/or populations that are representative of wetland benefits and/or values and thereby contributes to global biological diversity.

Criterion 8: A wetland should be considered internationally important if it is an important source of food for fishes, spawning ground, nursery and/or migration path on which fish stocks, either within the wetland or elsewhere, depend.

19 Directory of Iranian Ramsar Sites

The Ramsar Convention definition of "wetland" and classification system for wetland type

Definition

Under the Convention on Wetlands Articles 1.1 and 2.1 as shown below, define (Ramsar, Iran, 1971) wetlands:

Article 1.1: "For the purpose of this Convention wetlands are areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters."

Article 2.1 provides that wetlands:

"May incorporate riparian and coastal zones adjacent to the wetlands, and islands or bodies of marine water deeper than six meters at low tide lying within the wetlands".

Ramsar Classification System for Wetland Type

The codes are based upon the Ramsar Classification System for Wetland

Type as approved by Recommendation 4.7 and amended by Resolution VI.5 of the Conference of the Contracting Parties. The categories listed herein are intended to provide only a very broad framework to aid rapid identification of the main wetland habitats represented at each site, which be presented in Table 1:

20 Introduction

Table 1 : Ramsar Classification System for Wetland Type

Code Type Description Marine/Coastal Wetlands Permanent shallow marine In most cases less than six meters deep at A waters low tide; includes sea bays and straits.

includes kelp beds, sea-grass beds, tropical Marine subtidal aquatic beds B marine meadows.

C Coral reefs

D Rocky marine shores includes rocky offshore islands, sea cliffs.

Sand, shingle or pebble Includes sand bars, spits and sandy islets; E shores includes dune systems and humid dune slacks. permanent water of estuaries and estuarine Estuarine waters F systems of deltas

Intertidal mud, sand or salt

G flats includes salt marshes, salt meadows, H Intertidal marshes saltings, raised salt marshes; includes tidal brackish and freshwater marshes Includes mangrove swamps, nipah swamps Intertidal forested wetlands I and tidal freshwater swamp forests.

J Coastal brackish/saline Brackish to saline lagoons with at least one lagoons relatively narrow connection to the sea.

K Coastal freshwater lagoons Includes freshwater delta lagoons.

21 Directory of Iranian Ramsar Sites

Karst and other marine/coastal Zk(a) subterranean hydrological systems Inland Wetlands

L Permanent inland deltas

Permanent includes waterfalls M rivers/streams/creeks Karst and other N subterranean hydrological systems Permanent freshwater (over 8 ha)includes large oxbow lakes. O lakes

Seasonal/ intermittent (over 8 ha) includes floodplain lakes P freshwater lakes Permanent Q saline/brackish/alkaline lakes Seasonal/intermittent R saline/ brackish/alkaline lakes and flats Permanent saline/brackish

Sp /alkaline marshes/pools Seasonal/intermittent Ss saline/brackish/alkaline marshes/pools Permanent freshwater Ponds (below 8 ha), marshes and swamps on Tp inorganic soils; with emergent vegetation water- marshes/pools logged for at least most of the growing season. Seasonal/intermittent On inorganic soils; includes sloughs, Ts freshwater marshes/pools potholes, seasonally flooded meadows, sedge marshes. U Non-forested peatlands includes shrub or open bogs, swamps, fens

22 Introduction

includes alpine meadows, temporary waters Alpine wetlands Va from snowmelt.

includes tundra pools, temporary waters Tundra wetlands Vt from snowmelt Shrub swamps, shrub-dominated freshwater W Shrub-dominated wetlands marshes, shrub carr, alder thicket on inorganic soils. Freshwater, tree-dominated includes freshwater swamp forests, Xt wetlands seasonally flooded forests, wooded swamps on inorganic soils Xp Forested peatlands peatswamp forests

Y Freshwater springs; oases

Zg Geothermal wetlands

Karst and other Zk(b) subterranean hydrological systems Human-made wetlands

1 Aquaculture (e.g., fish/shrimp) ponds

farm ponds, stock ponds, small tanks; Ponds 2 (generally below 8 ha).

Includes irrigation channels and rice fields. Irrigated land 3

Seasonally flooded (Including intensively managed or grazed 4 agricultural land wet meadow or pasture).

5 Salt exploitation sites salt pans, salines, etc

23 Directory of Iranian Ramsar Sites

Reservoirs/barrages/dams/impoundments Water storage areas 6 (generally over 8 ha).

Gravel/brick/clay pits; borrow pits, mining Excavations 7 pools.

Wastewater treatment Sewage farms, settling ponds, oxidation 8 areas basins, etc.

Canals and drainage

9 channels, ditches. Karst and other Zk(c) subterranean hydrological human-made systems

Note: "floodplain" is a broad term used to refer to one or more wetland types, which may include examples from the R, Ss, Ts, W, Xf, Xp, or other wetland types. Some examples of floodplain wetlands are seasonally inundated grassland (including natural wet meadows), shrublands, woodlands and forests. Floodplain wetlands are not listed as a specific wetland type herein.

24 Introduction

Iran’s Wetlands Designated Under the Ramsar Convention

Iran plateau which has covered more than 80% of the dry land in the country has created a scope of mountain, mountain foot, moor, and desert landscapes and this feature has caused it to possess micro-habitats, although it is located in the dry and semi-dry ring of climate. As it is illustrated in picture (1) different climatic regions from very cold to extremely hot and from very dry to very wet can be found in this region.

Figure1: Climatic map of IRAN

25 Directory of Iranian Ramsar Sites

Different habitats, different heights and two large seas in the north and the south of the country and also geological formations dating back to the third geological period which are mainly salty layers have created a variety of wetlands varying from mangrove forests and coral riffs to mountain lakes and desert lands.

From the one hand Iran is located in the two main migration corridors for migratory birds and this makes Iran’s wetlands even more important for keeping the balance in this migration process. Forty two kinds of wetlands have been identified in Ramsar Convention in the world and out of the 42 kinds all kind can be found in Iran except one kind Tundra wetlands and this indicates the variety of Iran’s wetlands. Iran’s vastness has given way to a large number of wetlands and their sizes vary drastically. The area of these wetlands vary from a few hectares to 500,000 hectares.

The number of internationally-important wetlands registered in Iran is 84 out of which 33 wetlands have been recognized by the Ramsar Convention under 22 titles, listed in Table 2, and are under protection of this convention. Location and name of 22 Ramsar sites have been illustrated in

Figure (2). In this guidebook all efforts have been focused on introduction of Iran’s Ramsar sites considering their different aspects.

26 Introduction

Table 2: Iranian Wetlands recognized by the Ramsar convention

Area No. Site name (ha) 1 Alagol, Ulmagol and Ajigol Lakes 1400 2 Amirkelayeh Lake 1230 3 Anzali Mordab (Talab) complex 15000 4 Bandar Kiashahr Lagoon and mouth of Sefid Rud 500 5 Deltas of Rud-e-Gaz and Rud-e-Hara 15000 6 Deltas of Rud-e-Shur, Rud-e-Shirin and Rud-e-Minab 45000 7 Fereydoon Kenar, Ezbaran & Sorkh Ruds Ab-Bandans 5427 8 Gavkhouni Lake and marshes of the lower Zaindeh Rud 43000 9 Gomishan Lagoon 17700 10 Govater Bay and Hur-e-Bahu 75000 11 Hamun-e-Puzak, south end 10000 12 Hamun-e-Saberi & Hamun-e-Helmand 50000 13 Khuran Straits 100000 14 Lake Gori 120 15 Lake Kobi 1200 16 Lake Orumiyeh 483000 17 Lake Parishan and Dasht-e-Arjan 6200 18 Miankaleh Peninsula, Gorgan Bay and Lapoo-Zaghmarz Ab- 100000 bandan 19 Neiriz Lakes & Kamjan Marshes 108000 20 Shadegan Marshes & mudflats of Khor-al Amaya & Khor Musa 400000 21 Sheedvar Island 870 22 Shurgol, Yadegarlu & Dorgeh Sangi Lakes 2500

27 Directory of Iranian Ramsar Sites

Figure2: Internationally important wetlands of Iran

100 0 100 200

Kilo Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Alagol, Ulmagol

& Ajigol Lakes

Almagol Wetland

29 Alagol, Ulmagol & Ajigol Lakes

30 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Location: The lakes Alagol, Ulmagol and Ajigol are situated in the Province of Golestan , on the Turkoman steppes near the border with Turkmenistan. The lakes are situated about

60 km southwest from the town of Gorgan.

Ajigol Wetland

Importance: The lakes Alagol, Ulmagol and Ajigol are good

representative examples of natural brackish and

freshwater lakes characteristic of the vast plains to the

east of the Caspian Sea. The lakes provide wintering

habitat for four threatened species of birds: Pelecanus

crispus, Anser erythropus, Aquila heliaca and Oxyura

leucocephala.Together they regularly support over 20,000

31 Alagol, Ulmagol & Ajigol Lakes

waterbirds in winter, and over 1% of the regional Middle

East breeding populations of Anas strepera, Aythya fuligula

and Fulica atra. This site was designated as a Ramsar site at

23/06/1975 due to meeting criteria 1,2,5,6 (1a, 2a, 3a, 3c)

Alagol Wetland

Wetland Types: Ss, Ts, R, P, W (listed in descending order of dominance). The site comprises a group of three small lakes with associated marshes on the rolling grassy steppes to the east of the Caspian Sea. Lake Alagol [900 ha] is a slightly saline, seasonal lake. It lies about 6 km southwest of Lake Ulmagol and Lake Ajigol. These two lakes

[together 640 ha] are freshwater lakes.

32 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

They support reedbeds, and some aquatic vegetation. Both are subject to wide fluctuations in water level, and occasionally dry out completely.

Alagol Wetland اب آلماگل

Biological/Ecological notes: Lake Alagol is oligotrophic. It

supports little aquatic vegetation except for some Juncus,

Carex and grasses, mainly in the northeast, and a few

patches of reed Phragmites communis. Lake Ulmagol and

Lake Ajigol are eutrophic lakes. They support a more varied

vegetation of Juncus, duckweed Lemna, Phragmites, manna

Alhagi and algae, and an abundant submerged vegetation.

Much of Ajigol is overgrown with Phragmites, and this lake

33 Alagol, Ulmagol & Ajigol Lakes

has some adjacent stands of Tamarix thickets, grasses and saltbush. The surrounding steppes are vast,gently undulating grassland with low sandy hills.

The lakes are utilised by a wide variety of waterfowl during the migration season and Group of Flamiongos in winter. They are especially important for greater flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber, greylag goose Anser anser, dabbling ducks, pochard

Netta rufina, smew Mergellus albellus and coot Fulica atra.

Breeding species include great crested grebe Podiceps cristata,black-winged stilt Himantopus himantopus, plover

Charadrius alexandrinus, gull Larus genei and tit Remz pendulinus.Black stork Ciconia

nigra has been recorded in summer and may breed.

34 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Hydrological/Physical notes: Lake Alagol is slightly saline and fed by seepage, springs and local run-off. It floods in winter and sometimes dries out completely in summer. The average water depth is 2 m. When full, it overflows westwards. The lake bottom consists of mud and sand. The other two lakes are freshwater lakes, fed mainly in autumn and winter by local rainfall. Both have large seasonal fluctuations in water level. Their bottoms consist of mud and fine clay. The three lakes rarely, if ever, freeze over in winter. HumanUses:The site is state-owned.

Activities at the three lakes include grazing,reed cutting and recreational fishing and wildfowl hunting. The water of lake Alagol is being used for irrigation by local farmers, and for a fish hatchery. The Ornithology Unit of the

Department of the Environment has carried out research on waterbirds. They have carried out annual mid-winter censuses since 1969, and breeding surveys on several other

Alagol, Ulmagol & Ajigol Lakes

Ajigol Wetland occasions. In the surrounding area there are a few small settlements where some agriculture is practised.

Conservation Measures: The sites in addition to Ramsar are under hunting and fishing prohibition and a permanent post in addition to a land and water patrol has been stationed at the site by the department of the Environment.

36 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Almagol Wetland

Adverse Factors: The lakes Ulmagol and Ajigol are subject

to high levels of disturbance from wildfowl hunters. At lake

Alagol there is also some disturbance from hunting, but on a

much smaller scale since lake Alagol is less accessible. The

extraction of water from lake Alagol for irrigation purposes

and for a fish hatchery has resulted in lowering water

levels at the lake, especially in summer.

37 Amirkelayeh Lake

Amirkelayeh Lake

Amirkelayeh lake- General view

38 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

39 Amirkelayeh Lake

Location: Amirkelayeh Lake is situated on the coastal plain

of the Caspian Sea in the Province of Gilan. The lake is

located about 12 km north of the city of Langarud and

about 60 km east of Rasht.

Amirkelayeh Lake - Caspian lotus

Importance: This lake is a good representative example of a natural wetland characteristic of the south Caspian lowlands. It provides important wintering habitat for

Phalacrocorax pygmaeus, a globally threatened bird, and it

40 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

usually holds over 20,000 waterfowl in winter. Regularly

over 1% of the regional Middle East populations of Netta

rufina, Aythya ferina and Fulica atra are present at

Amirkelayeh. This site was designated as a Ramsar site at

23/06/1975 due to meeting criteria

1, 2, 5, 6 (1a, 2a, 3a, 3c)

W etland Types: O, Tp, W, 3

(listed in descending order of dominance). Amirkelayeh Lake is a rather deep, permanent,

freshwater lake with extensive reedbeds and some willow

thickets. The surrounding area comprises rice paddies with

patches of woodland, and there are remnants of former

coastal forest. The lake is important for irrigation of surrounding rice fields during dry summer months.

41 Amirkelayeh Lake

Biological/Ecological notes: Amirkelayeh Lake is a eutrophic lake. The open water areas support abundant submerged and floating vegetation, including species of

Lemna, Potamogeton, Hydrilla, Myriophyllum and

Ceratophyllum. The surrounding emergent marshes are dominated by extensive Phragmites communis reedbeds, with some reedmace Typha and willows Salix. As a breeding place for waterfowl, this wetland is noted for

Amirkelayeh Lake- Caspian lotus

42 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

its heron (Ardeidae), duck (Anatidae) and rail (Rallidae) populations. In winter huge numbers of coot Fulica atra tend to be present, together with very significant numbers of red-crested pochard Netta rufina, common pochard

Aythya ferina and smaller numbers of swans Cygnus spp. and Ardeidae. Passage migrants in spring and autumn include egrets Casmerodius albus and Ardea purpurea, crake Porzana parva and snipe Gallinago gallinago. Birds of prey occurring in winter include marsh harrier Circus aeruginosus and the falcon Falco peregrinus. At least 101 species of birds have been recorded in the wildlife refuge.

Golden jackal Canis aureus, jungle cat Felis chaus and wild boar Sus scrofa are mammals known to occur at the site.

Mute Swan

Amirkelayeh Lake

Hydrological/Physical notes:Amirkelayeh Lake lies on the coastal plain of the Caspian Sea. It has an average depth of 3-4 m and a maximum depth of 6 m. The water of the lake is extremely clear. It originates from springs, local run-off and rainfall. The bottom of the lake is muddy.

Flooding occurs in autumn and winter, but the fluctuations in the water level are only slight. The lake is about 4.5 km long by up to 1.7 km wide. At high water levels it drains to the northwest through a small stream into a channel of the

Sefid Rud, some 1.5 km away.

It is situated sufficiently high above the level of the Caspian

Sea to be unaffected by the recent rise in sea level.

Human Uses: The site is state-owned. Amirkelayeh lake provides a source of water forirrigation of surrounding rice fields during dry summermonths. It used to be an important duck hunting area,butsince 1994 hunting is prohibited.Annual mid-winter waterfowl censuses have been

44 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance carried out by the Ornithology Unit ofthe Department of the Environment since 1968. many other ornithological surveys have been undertaken since then, but none recently.

The Department has also carried out some investigations on duck-hunting techniques and harvesting levels at the lake. In the surrounding area there are several small villages, and a large road passes close to the eastern side of the lake.

Rice cultivation is common here. Owing to its natural attractions and great scenic beauty, the site has become one of the main tourist attractions in the Gilan province.

Amirkelayeh Wetland- Caspian lotus

Conservation Measures: The site was designated a

protected region in 1970, and upgraded to a wildlife refuge

of the current size in 1971. This wildlife refuge was designated a Ramsar site on 23 June 1975. The site was

45 Amirkelayeh Lake

visited by a Ramsar Advisory Mission in January 1992 and

May 1997. Prior to its designation as wildlife refuge the lake had been an important area for waterfowl hunting by local villagers. In the late 1970s, the villagers took back control of the lake and restarted hunting. In 1994 the

Department of the Environment re-established control and now hunting is prohibited again. By re-establishing control over the site, the government followed the 1992 MGP

Mission’s main advice. Currently a permanent post and patrol has been stationed at the site by the department of the Environment. Adverse Factors:Occupation of (more than 230 ha of) the

wetlands border lands for rice cultivation by the villagers, unsupervised use of the lake water for irrigation purposes.

Illegal hunting and fishing, Introduction of invasive non- indigenous species such as Azolla, entering of fertilizers and pesticides from agricultural lands and the mysterious death of numerous fish every year are the main adverse factors to name for this complex.

Anzali Mordab Complex

Anzali Mordab

Complex

Anzali Mordab (Talab) Complex- General view

47 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

48 Anzali Mordab Complex

Location: The Anzali wetland complex is situated in the province of Gilan, in Northern Iran. It is located at the southwest of the Caspian Sea, close to the city of Bandar-e-

Anzali.

Anzali Mordab (Talab) Complex – Marshes

photo by: M.B.Karimi

Importance: Anzali wetland complex is a good example of a natural wetland, characteristic of the south Caspian lowlands. It supports an extremely diverse wetland flora and fauna. It provides wintering habitat to several species of threatened birds: Phalacrocorax pygmaeus, Pelecanus

49 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

onocrotalus, Pelecanus crispus, Anser erythropus, Oxyura leucocephala, Haliaeetus albicilla, Aquila heliaca, A.

clanga, Falco peregrinus, F. cherrug, F. columbarius, Asio flammeus, Circus aeruginosus. In general the wetland supports huge numbers of wintering ducks, geese, swans and coots, and the riverine area and the marsh support large breeding colonies of Ardeidae, and several species of terns and shorebirds. Anzali wetland supports over 1% of the regional Middle East wintering populations of several species of waterbirds. Anzali and Siakesheem are important spawning and nursery grounds for several fish species. This site was designated as a Ramsar site at

23/06/1975 due to meeting criteria 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (1a,

2a, 2b, 2c, 3a, 3c).

Anzali Mordab (Talab) Complex - General view

50 Anzali Mordab Complex

Wetland Types: K, Tp, Ts, M, W, O (listed in

descending order of dominance) The Anzali complex is

comprised of large, shallow, eutrophic freshwater lagoons,

shallow impoundments (“ab-bandans”), marshes and

seasonally flooded grasslands in the southwest Caspian

lowlands. It is separated from the Caspian Sea by a sand

dune barrier of about 1 km wide, with open grassland,

pomegranate shrub

and sand dune vegetation. The main wetland covers about

11,000 ha, and comprises an open lagoon, 26 km long and 2.0

- 3.5 km wide, surrounded by reed-beds which extend its eastern limits a further 7 km. Several perpetual streams emanating in the nearby Talesh Mountains feed into the

Anzali Complex. The entire marsh and lagoon complex drains into the deep-water harbour of Bandar Anzali through the main channel at the Northeast end of the main lagoon.

51 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

The wetland is bordered to the north by sand dunes with grassland and scrubby vegetation, and the south by cultivated land (mainly rice) and patches of woodland.

Biological/Ecological notes: The dominant vegetation throughout much of the Anzali wetland consists of vast beds of Phragmites australis which in places grows to six meters height. Due to falling levels of the Caspian Sea in the late 1960s, a rapid expansion of the Phragmites reed began, and by the early 1980s, large parts of the main wetland were covered. Together with increased pollution and eutrophication, the situation had become so serious that methods of control were considered. The recent rapid rise in water level in the wetland stopped the expansion of

Phragmites and recreated open water areas. The new water areas support vast beds of the water lily Nelumbo nucifera var.caspica, and a very rich growth of other floating and

52 Anzali Mordab Complex

Mute Swan submerged vegetation. Anzali wetland and its satellite wetlands are extremely important for A wide variety of breeding, passage and wintering waterfowl. The wetlands support a large breeding colony of Chlidonias hybridus, colonies of six species of Ardeidae, and a resident population of Porphyrio porphyrio. Acrocephalus melanopogon and A. arundinaceus are very common breeding birds in the reedbeds. The wetland is the most important wintering area in Iran for Phalacrocorax pygmaeus. Scolopax rusticola is a common winter visitor to the surrounding damp woodlands and scrub. Many birds of prey also winter at the wetland, such as Haliaeetus albicilla, Aquila clanga, Falco peregrinus, Falco cherrug, Falco columbarius, Asio flammeus,

53 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Circus aeruginosus, and Aquila chrysaetos. Mammals include the golden jackal Canis aureus, common otter Lutra lutra, jungle cat Felis chaus, wild boar Sus scrofa, white-toothed shrew Crocidura leucodon, crested porcupine Hystrix indica and wolf Canis lupus.

Caspian lotus

Hydrological/Physical notes: Anzali wetland plays a vital role as a microclimate during the dry season. At the Anzali wetland complex, the average annual rainfall is 1900 mm, with rain falling throughout the year but mainly in winter.

The lowest temperatures occur in February (mean around

6°C) and the highest in August (mean maximum nearly 25°C).

54 Anzali Mordab Complex

Human Uses: The site is mainly state-owned. Some parts are privately owned. Anzali Mordab locally supports a major commercial fishery. The wetland and deeper rivers flowing into it are used for transportation of people, farm goods and other materials to the various villages around the wetland, and to Bandar-e-Anzali.

Parts of the marsh and open wetlands in the south are heavily utilised by domestic livestock for grazing. Anzali talab - Azolla spreading Several villages cut the reeds for mat weaving, fencing and building materials.Many of the ab-bandans are managed as duck-hunting areas throughout the winter months. At these sites, the duck hunters use a traditional dazzling and hand-netting technique (the ‘net, gong and flare’ technique) to catch ducks and coots from a boat at night. Elsewhere in the wetland, hunting is mostly with shotgun. The ab-bandans also provide a source of water for irrigation during the dry summer months.

55 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

In the summer time the wetland is an important recreation centre in the north of Iran. Annual mid-winter waterfowl censuses have been carried out by the Ornithology Unit of the DOE since 1967.Bird ringing is concentrated on terns and passerines. The Department is currently undertaking a major research programme, which has involved the establishment of 35 monitoring stations throughout the wetland, to measure a variety of parameters, including changes in water level, water quality and physico-chemical characteristics. Numerous limnological and since 1967.Bird ringing is concentrated on terns and passerines. The

Department is currently undertaking a major research programme, which has involved the establishment of 35

Guard

Anzali Mordab Comlex

Anzali Mordab Complex

Preparation for road construction

Improper waste water discharge

monitoring stations throughout the wetland, to measure a variety of parameters, including changes in water level, water quality and physico-chemical characteristics.

Numerous limnological and hydrological studies have been conducted by the national fisheries organization; Shilat.

Anzali is a significant site in preserving plant and animal genetic reserves and diversity.

Conservation Measures: Two reserves have been established in the Anzali complex. The central portion of

Siakesheem Marsh (3,515 ha) was first established as a

Protected Region in 1967. The reserve wasenlarged to

57 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

6,701 and upgraded to wildlife refuge in,1971, but reduced to its present size of 4,500 ha and downgraded to a protected area in the 1980s.Selke Ab-bandan (360 ha) has been protected as a wildlife refuge since 1970. The DOE has recently taken steps to establish a non-hunting area at

Sorkan Kol in the central wetland.

The Ramsar site encompass ses the whole of the Anzali wetland,

Siakesheem Marsh, Selke protected area, and several other ab-bandans bordering the marshes. The site has been placed on the Ramsar Montreux

Record of priority sites for conservation action since

December 1993.A Ramsar Advisory placed on the Ramsar

Montreux Record of priority sites for conservation action since December 1993. A Ramsar Advisory Mission visited the area in January 1992 and May 1997.

Adverse Factors: The site is on the Montreux Record for many reasons. The expanded reedbeds that came up due

58 Anzali Mordab Complex

Anzali Mordab Comlex to water level changes have not started to die back عملكرد اقتصادي – اجتماعي : ماهيگيري يك

yet,and this is a continuing problem. Other problems فعاليت اقتصادي در منطقه محسوب ميشود .

include major eutrophication due to pollution, massive جاذبه هاي گردشگري طبيعي , جاذبه هاي فرهنگي و جلوگيري از تخريب سواحل توسط spread of water-fern Azolla sp., increased hunting طوفانهاي دريايي از ديگر ارزشهاي اين منطقه pressure (up to 200,000 birds per season), and poaching بحساب مي آيند . (especially at Siahkesheem). The site is closely monitored

now. Agricultural, municipal and industrial waste water,

edimentation, establishment of fish farms near the

wetland and the risk of invasive non indigenous species.

59 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Bandar Kiashahr

Lagoon & mouth of Sefid rud

Kiashahr- General view

Satellite image of Kiashahr

60 Bandar Kiashahr Lagoon & mouth of Sefid rud

61 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Location: The wetland is located in the Province of Gilan,

about 40 km east of Bandar Anzali and 15 km northwest

of the town of Rasht. Bandar Kiashahr Lagoon (formerly

Bandar Farahnaz) lies immediately to the east of the

mouth of the Sefid Rud river.

Surroundings of Kiashahr

Importance: Bandar Kiashahr Lagoon and the mouth of

Sefid Rud are good representative examples of natural wetlands characteristic of the South Caspian Lowlands.

62 Bandar Kiashahr Lagoon & mouth of Sefid rud

They provide important wintering habitat for

Phalacrocorax pygmaeus, a globally threatened species. It supports large breeding colonies of several species of waterbirds, amongst which over 1% of the Middle East breeding population of Phalacrocorax carbo. It also hosts over 1% of the regional wintering populations of Podiceps nigricollis, Anas platyrhynchos and Larus ridibundus. The lagoon is an important breeding and nursery ground for various fish species. This site was designated as a Ramsar site at 23/06/1975 due to meeting criteria

: 1, 2, 4, 6 (1a, 2a, 2c, 3c)

Common Teel

63 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Wetland Types: A, Sp, Tp, F, M, E (listed in

descending order of dominance)Bandar Kiashahr Lagoon is a

shallow sea bay in the southwest Caspian, with associated

permanent freshwater and brackish marshes. The nearby

mouth of the Sefid Rud river comprises an estuary with

freshwater riverine marshes. Sandy areas to the west and

northwest of the site are covered in shrub and grassland,

while there is sand-dune vegetation near the Caspian shore.

Grassland along the banks of Sefid Rud floods seasonally.

Biological/Ecological notes:

Bandar Kiashahr Lagoon is a large bay, which supports relatively little other vegetation than algae.

Freshwater marshes at the extreme west end of the lagoon have some beds of

Phragmites and Typha , while the southern and eastern shores are dominated by Juncus and grasses. In the marshes around the mouth of Sefid Rud beds of Phragmites

64 Bandar Kiashahr Lagoon & mouth of Sefid rud

Typha, Juncus and different kinds of grasses can be found. The area is an important staging and wintering area for a wide variety of migratory waterbirds,notably grebes, cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmaeus,

ducks, shorebirds, gulls and terns, and for the raptors Circus aeruginosus and Falco columbarius. The open grassy areas and dunes near the river mouth provide breeding habitat for Glareola pratincola, while a small patch of woodland to the south of the lagoon supports a large colony of herons and egrets. Little bittern

Ixobrychus minutus is a passage migrant or summer visitor.The golden jackal Canis aureus is common to the area.Hydrological/Physical notes: Bandar Kiashahr Lagoon was formed in 1960 as a result of the falling level of the

Caspian Sea.Between 1960 and 1978 Bandar Kiashahr used to be a real lagoon,with fresh to brackish water and a very narrow opening to the sea.Since 1978 a rise back in sea and

65 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

the sea, with the result that now the wetland again constitutes a bay with broad entrance to the sea. The marshy grasslands and sand dune areas at the mouth of

Sefid Rud have remained more or less unchanged, while new wetland habitats have been created west of the river mouth. The Sefid Rud is the second largest river in Iran, with a catchment area of 54,000 sq. km. The main channel of the river enters the Caspian Sea at Bandar Kiashahr.

Human Uses: The site is state-owned. Activities at the site include grazing of livestock, reed-cutting and wildfowl hunting. The lagoon is an important centre for commercial fishing. There is a large fisheries station on the south shore.

During weekends and holidays the wetland is used for recreation. Land to the south of the wetland is mostly under

66 Bandar Kiashahr Lagoon & mouth of Sefid rud

cultivation by people from fishing villages. A considerable amount of fisheries research has been carried out by the

National Fisheries Organisation (Shilot). The Ornithology

Unit of the Department of the Environment has carried out annual mid-winter waterfowl censuses since 1968. This lagoon is a suitable location for egg laying and as a nursery for Caspian fish species.

Conservation Measures: The site was visited by Ramsar

Advisory Missions in January 1992 and May 1997. They advised to have further assessment of the ecological

Changes that were brought about by the changing sea levels, and to try to reduce disturbance to water birds by ishing activities. In the last few years hunting and fishing has been prohibited in the area. Currently it is protected at the highest level as part of the “Bojagh” national park.

67 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Adverse Factors: Main disturbances at the site are heavy hunting pressure n waterfowl (mainly in winter), and heavy transport pressure by boats from the extensive commercial fisheries and its cooperating industries. There is also considerable disturbance from recreational activities during weekends and holidays. The great decrease in the numbers of wintering birds in the last decades has been attributed to the increasing disturbance from fishing activities and heavy hunting pressure. Establishing a fishing port in 1992 has divided this lagoon in two sections resulting in the drying out of the western part.

68 Deltas of Rud-e-Gaz & Rud-e-Hara

Deltas of Rud-e-Gaz & Rud-e-Hara

Deltas of Rud-e-Gaz & Rud-e-Hara - Sunset

Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

70 Deltas of Rud-e-Gaz & Rud-e-Hara

Location: Rud-e-Gaz and Rud-e-Hara are situated on the

eastern shore of the Straits of Hormoz, between the

Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

Oyster catcher

Importance: The deltas of Rud-e-Gaz and Rud-e-Hara are a special type of wetlands in their biogeographical region.

Because of their very diverse flora and fauna, the deltas contribute to the maintenance of the genetic and ecological

71 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

diversity of the region. These wetlands support over 1%

of the regional populations of the waterbirds Egretta

gularis, Dromas ardeola, Platalea leucorodia, Numenius

arquata and Sterna bengalensis. The mangroves and

shallow inshore waters are important breeding and nursery grounds for many species of crustaceans and

fishes important in the local fishery. This site was

designated as a Ramsar site at 23/06/1975 due to meeting criteria : 1, 3, 6 (1d, 2b, 3c)

Crab

???????

Deltas of Rud-e-Gaz & Rud-e-Hara

Wetland Types: F, E, I, G, H (listed in descending order of dominance)The deltas of Rud-e-Gaz and Rud-e-Hara form a continuous strip of coastal wetlands extending for about

40 km from north to south along the eastern shore of the Straits of Hormoz. The wetlands comprise a complex of tidal creeks and mudflats, an estimated 900 ha of mangrove swamps, numerous sandbanks and sandbars, and several low-lying muddy islands.

Biological/Ecological notes: The mangrove forests consist of Avicennia marina. The mudflats are barren of vegetation except for some characteristic salt marsh species. The thorn forest on the coastal plain comprises Acacia,

Prosopis, Ziziphus and Tamarix, with some date palm

Phoenix dactylifera. There are large areas of bare sandy flats. The site is an extremely important wintering area for shorebirds and gulls, notably large numbers of Eurasian

73 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus, bar-tailed godwit

Limosa lapponica and yellow-legged gull Larus cachinnans, along with smaller numbers of Dalmatian pelican Pelecanus crispus, great egret Casmerodius albus, grey heron Ardea cinerea, white spoonbill Platalea leucorodia and greater flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber. The site may also be important for breeding Ardeidae including Goliath heron

Ardea goliath and Indian pond Crab plover heron Ardeola grayii, but this

has never been verified.

Wintering raptors include white-tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla, shikra Accipiter badius, Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus and peregrine Falco peregrinus (all maximum 3 individuals).

White-throated kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis is a fairly common resident in the area. The adjacent sandy plains and thorn woodland support a typical Baluchi avifauna with several species of Indo-Malayan origin occurring here or

Deltas of Rud-e-Gaz & Rud-e-Hara near the western extremity of their ranges, notably white rumped vulture Gyps bengalensis, grey francolin Francolinus pondicerianus, chestnut-bellied sandgrouse Pterocles exustus, spotted owlet Athene brama, sind woodpecker

Dendrocopos assimilis and common myna Acridotheres tristis.

Human Uses: The site is

state-owned. Activities at

this wetland are limited,

as the area is remote and

very sparsely populated. Bitern There is some fishing and

domestic Animal grazing at the site. In the 1970s the

Ornithology Unit of the Department of the Environment has

carried out 3 aerial surveys, and the landward edge of the

site of the wetland has been surveyed on several ccasions.A

course in wetland conservation has been carried for the

personnel of the Environment office of Hormozgan in 1997.

Owing to its natural attractions and great scenic beauty, the

site has good potential for ecotourism.

Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Hydrological/Physical notes: The Rud-e-Gaz and Rud-e-

Hara rivers are dry for much of the year, flowing only after erratic rainfall in the interior (usually in winter). Arid, sandy plains with open thorn woodland stretch inland from the coast.

Young Tree of Hara

Deltas of Rud-e-Gaz & Rud-e-Hara

Conservation Measures: Hunting and fishing are prohibited and the site is a protected area since

2002.The site has been identified as an Important Bird

Area by Birdlife International.

Adverse Factors: Oil pollution resulting from shipping is the important adverse factor of this site.

Mud Skiper

77 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Deltas of Rud-e-Shur, Rud-e-Shirin & Rud-e-Minab گز و حرا ، برداشت حرا

78 Deltas of Rud-e-Shur, Shirin & Minab

79 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Location: Rud-e-Shur, Rud-e-Shirin and Rud-e-Minab are situated in the Province of Hormozgan, on the north shore of the Straits of Hormoz, stretching from 10 to 70 km east of Bandar Abbas. They reach from the region of Bandar

Abbas in the west to Khor Kolahy in the east.

Importance: The wetlands of the deltas of the Rud-e-Shur,

Rud-e-Shirin and Rud-e-Minab are good representative examples of the mudflat/mangrove ecosystem characteristic of the coasts of the southern Persian Gulf and the adjacent Gulf of Oman.

80 Deltas of Rud-e-Shur, Shirin & Minab

In winter they support a population of the globally

threatened Pelecanus crispus , and over 1% of the regional ????????? populations of the waterbirds Haematopus ostralegus and

Numenius arquata. The site provides important spawning

and nursery grounds for many fish species. This site was

designated as a Ramsar site at 23/06/1975 due to

meeting criteria : 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 (1a, 2a, 2c, 3c, 4b)

Wetland Types: F, G, I, H, A, M, N, L (listed in

descending order of dominance) The deltas of Rud-e-

Shur, Rud-e-Shirin and Rud-e-Minab form a continuous

strip of coastal wetlands extending for some 55 km along

Western Reef Heron

81 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

the northern shore of the Straits of Hormoz at the

entrance to the Persian Gulf. It is a large area of intertidal

mudflats, mangrove swamps and sandy beaches in the

contiguous deltas of three rivers. There is about 300 ha of

mangroves at the river mouths and along adjacent creeks,

and there are long sandy beaches, low sandbars and sand

spits. Two large shallow bays, Khor Tab and Khor Kolahy,

occur near the mouth of the Rud-e-Minab. The rivers are

dry for most of the year, flowing only after heavy rainfall in

the interior (usually in winter). The waters of the Rud-e-

Minab and Rud-e-Shirin are fresh, but that of the Rud- e-

Shur is somewhat. Brackish Arid, sandy plains with open

thorn woodland stretch inland from the coast.

Little Egret ?????

82 Deltas of Rud-e-Shur, Shirin & Minab

Prosopis, Ziziphus and Tamarix, with some date palm

Phoenix dactylifera. There are large areas of bare sandy flats. The site is an extremely important wintering area for shorebirds and gulls, notably large numbers of Eurasian oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus, bar-tailed godwit

Pandion

83 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

The site may also be important for breeding Ardeidae including Goliath heron Ardea goliath and Indian pond heron Ardeola grayii, but this has never been verified.

Wintering raptors include white-tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla, shikra Accipiter badius, Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus and peregrine Falco peregrinus

(all maximum 3 individuals). White-throated kingfisher

Halcyon smyrnensis is a fairly common resident in the area. The adjacent sandy plains and thorn woodland support a typical Baluchi avifauna with several species of

Indo-Malayan origin occurring here or near the western extremity of their ranges, notably white rumped vulture

Gyps bengalensis, grey francolin Francolinus pondicerianus, chestnut-bellied sandgrouse Pterocles exustus, spotted owlet Athene brama, sind woodpecker Dendrocopos assimilis and common myna Acridotheres tristis.

84 Deltas of Rud-e-Shur, Shirin & Minab

Hydrological/Physical notes: This wetland includes

extensive intertidal mudflats of over 1 km wide at low

tide. The sediments consist of alluvial deposits, silt sand

and mud. Summer temperatures reach up to 45°C. Annual

rainfall is about 100-300 mm, mainly between November

and April.

Human Uses: Jursidiction resides with the Department of the Environment. The site and the surrounding area are

Government property. Activities at the site are subsistence fishing along the coast and cutting of mangroves for fuel. Access to the area is very difficult, therefore only a few bird surveys have been carried out by the Ornithology Unit of the Department of the Environment There is a marine research station on the island of Hormoz to the southwest. On the adjacent plains, there is grazing by domestic livestock, and there are some settlements with date gardens.

Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Thanks to natural attractions and great scenic beauty, a good potential for Ecotourism exists in the area.

Conservation Measures: The site is not legally protected.

However any activities need permission from the

Department of the Environment first. Its only official status is the Ramsar designation. BirdLife International has also identified it as an Important Bird Area.

Adverse Factors: Some areas of mangrove have been degraded from excessive cutting for fuel and from browsing by camels. There may be some pollution from the nearby port of Bandar Abbas, and oil pollution is an ever- present threat.

Spoon bill

Fereydonkenar,Ezbaran & Sorkhruds Ab Bandan

Fereydonkenar, Ezbaran & Sorkhrud AbBandans

Fereydoon Kenar - General view

Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

88 Fereydonkenar,Ezbaran & Sorkhruds Ab Bandan

Location: The sites are situated on the coastal plain of the

South Caspian, just south of the town of Fereydoon Kenar and 13 km southwest of Babolsar, Mazandaran.

Importance: This site is a particularly important area for migratory waterfowl, regularly supporting large numbers of birds and over 30 species. It is therefore of importance for conservation of the region’s biodiversity.The area is situated in the southeast Caspian lowlands and is of outstanding importance as the winter quarters of the

Fereydoon Kenar - Diversity of Ducks

Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance entire western population of the Siberian Crane (Grus leucogeranus), but also extremely important as a wintering area for many other species of waterfowl, notably dabbling ducks (Anas spp.) and Gees (Anser spp). The site regularly holds well in excess of tens thousand waterfowl in winter, with up to 100,000 birds at any one time.This site was designated as a Ramsar site at 25/06/2003 due to meeting criteria 6, 2, 5, 3,4.

Wetland Types: 3, 4, 2 (listed in descending order of dominance)This site is in fact a Non-Shooting Area through the rice fields. The area comprises four “Damgahs” or duck trapping areas (Fereydoon Kenar,

Ezbaran, Eastern and Western

Sorkh Ruds) and also a Wildlife Refuge (Fereydoon Kenar.) is based in north eastern part of these damgah. Each damgah consists of a complex of shallow freshwater impoundments situated in harvested rice paddies where

Fereydonkenar,Ezbaran & Sorkhruds Ab Bandan

developed as a duck-hunting area, surrounded by forest strips and reed enclosures.

Biological/Ecological notes: The artificially-maintained shallow impoundments and extensive rice fields at

Fereydoon Kenar provide excellent feeding and roosting habitat for large numbers of wintering waterfowl, notably

Phalacrocorax carbo, dabbling ducks, Anser albifrons , A. anser, Vanellus vanellus and Limosa limosa. These large concentrations of waterbirds attract a variety of wintering raptors including Haliaeetus albicilla, Aquila heliaca, A. clanga and Falco peregrinus. Large concentrations of

Philomachus pugnax have been recorded on spring migration.

Siberian crane

Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

The wetland gained international

fame in 1978 when ornithologists

from the Department of the

Environment discovered a tiny

wintering population of the

endangered Siberian Crane (Grus

leucogeranus) at the site. The Siberian crane shallow impoundments support abundant floating and submerged aquatic vegetation and some fringing reed-beds of Phragmites australis and Typha sp. Cyperus rotundus (the principal food of the wintering cranes) is common. The surrounding plains are under rice cultivation.

Hydrological/Physical notes:Man made shallow freshwater wetland. Damgahs are a system of small circular or strip forests including ponds and channels surrounded by flooded rice paddies designed by villagers to catch ducks. The damgahs contain several duck-trapping units named ‘dooma’

(e.i. more than 100 units in case of Fereydoon Kenar).

Fereydonkenar,Ezbaran & Sorkhruds Ab Bandan

Rice fields are under cultivation activities during spring and summer (April- early September), and become flooded in autumn and winter (October-March) in order to establish an artificial wetland to decoy waterfowl. Rice paddies provide excellent feeding habitat for ducks, geese, shorebirds and the Siberian Cranes. However, trapping activities are operated from small forests, which act as focal points for the trappers.

Human Uses: A very important traditional duck-trapping area, one of the few remaining sites in the South Caspian

Lowlands where this practice has not been replaced by hunting with guns. The area is used for rice farming outside the wintering period for waterfowl. duck-netting

Siberian crane

Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

is carried out under licence from the Department of the Environment, each of trapping stations(each manned by two men) being permitted to capture up to ten birds a day throughout the hunting season. The ab-bandans also provide a supply of water for irrigation during the dry summer months. Rice and fish farming activities are carried out and a good potential for ecotourism exists for the area.

Conservation Measures: To ensure that the aterfowl are not disturbed, the duck trappers enforce a very strict ban not only on shooting activities in the area, but also on all other unnecessary human activity. As a result, the damgah wetland and surrounding paddies constitute one of the best- protected and least disturbed wetlands in the South

Caspian lowlands. The site has been identified as an

"Important Bird Area" by BirdLife International. The site has become as a non Shooting Area since June 2001, covering Fereydoon Kenar, Ezbaran, Easter & Western

94 Fereydonkenar,Ezbaran & Sorkhruds Ab Bandan

Sorkh Rud Damgahs and Fereydoon Kenar Wildlife Refuge including a buffer zone around each of these areas.

Adverse Factors: Fereydoon Kenar Non-Shooting Area

(except Fereydoon Kenar Wildlife Refuge) is not among the

protected areas network. This problem is an underlying

cause of most threats to the wintering population of

Siberian Cranes. Shooting and the use of aerial nets in the

surrounding area represent a threat to the Siberian Cranes

and other endangered species using the area. Water

pollution from excessive use of pesticides and access

limitation imposed by private owners limit the effective

control and protection of the DOE over the site. The

incidence of lead poisoning in waterfowl is poorly known, but

may be significant. Overhead power cables pose a hazard to

large waterbirds in flight, including the Siberian Cranes.

95 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Gavkhouni Lake

Gavkhoni - Arial photo

Gavkhoni

Gavkhouni Lake

97 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Location: Gavkhouni Wetland is located at the western edge of the Central Plateau, 176 km southeast of the city of Isfahan, Isfahan Province.

Importance: Gavkhouni wetland is a good representative example of a shallow natural wetland of the lowlands of

Gavkhoni

Gavkhouni Lake

Iran’s Central Plateau. The wetland plays a substantial hydrological and ecological role in the natural functioning the river basin of the Zaindeh Rud. It is an example of a specific type of wetland, unusual in its biogeographical region. The wetland is a wintering site for the globally threatened raptor Aquila heliaca. It regularly supports over

20,000 waterbirds in winter. This site was designated as a

Ramsar site at 23/06/1975 due to meeting criteria : 1, 2, 5

(1a, 1c, 1d, 2a, 3a)

Wetland Types: O, M, Ts, Tp, Ss, W (listed in escending order of dominance) Gavkhouni wetland is a large, shallow, saline lake with associated fresh to brackish marshes in an enclosed drainage basin. The lake is fed almost entirely by

Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

the Zaindeh Rud, a large river rising in the northern Zagros

Mountains. There is about 1,000 ha of “delta” marshes at the mouth of the river. The marshes of the lower Zaindeh

Rud comprise a chain of freshwater marshes and floodplain wetlands stretching for about 60 km along both banks of the river and ending at the delta marshes at Gavkhouni

Lake.

Gavkhoni Plant coverage

Biological/Ecological notes: Besides the “delta” marshes at the river mouth, Gavkhouni Lake is largely devoid of vegetation other than algae and a few halophytic species.

The marshes are dominated by Phragmites with some

Tamarix scrub. The remnants of natural marsh vegetation along the Zaindeh Rud are dominated by Phragmites and

Typha.There are extensive areas ofreedbeds Phragmites,

100 Gavkhouni Lake

rush Juncus sp.,sedge

Carex sp. and Scirpus sp.

around and as sparse

areas inside the wetland.

The adjacent land

consists of degraded

steppe and irrigated flamingo

cultivation. The wetland

is situated in the middle of a flyway between the North and

the South of Iran; therefore it is a very important wintering

area for a variety of waterfowl. Anatidae recorded at the

wetland include greylag goose Anser anser, ruddy shelduck

Tadorna ferruginea, shelduck T. tadorna, wigeon Anas

penelope, gadwall A. strepera, green-winged teal A. crecca,

mallard A. platyrhynchos, pintail A. acuta, northern shoveler

A. clypeata and pochard Aythya ferina. Other wintering

waterbirds have included great cormorant Phalacrocorax

carbo, great white egret Casmerodius albus, grey heron

Ardea cinerea, white Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia, greater

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Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber, coot Fulica atra, crane Grus grus, black-winged stilt Himantopus himantopus, avocet

Recurvirostra avosetta, lapwing Vanellus vanellus and snipe

Gallinago gallinago. Wintering birds of prey include white- tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla, marsh harrier Circus aeruginosus, imperial eagle Aquila heliaca, vulture Aegypius monachus and saker Falco cherrug.

Gavkhoni - Winter

102 Gavkhouni Lake

Hydrological/Physical notes: The marshes of the lower

Zaindeh Rud are fed by flooding from the river itself and

several irrigation channels, which make the wetland very

polluted. The flooded areas often freeze over in winter,

and in most years, the marshes are almost completely dry

by late spring or early summer. The lake has a very

important effect on the region’s microclimate.

Human Uses: The site is state-owned.

Gavkhouni is a living system effective in enhancing the climate of the area, preventing desertification and flood control. Additionally it has potential for becoming a tourist attraction. Parts of the floodplain are used for agriculture, grazing of livestock and wildfowl hunting. The lake is relatively inaccessible and undisturbed, although there is some grazing, hunting and cutting of brushwood for fuel in the marshes at the mouth of the river. Annual mid-winter censuses have been carried out by the Ornithology Unit of the Department of the Environment since 1969.

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Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Adverse Factors: The most important adverse factors are as follows: destruction of the plant coverage of the wetlands surrounding due to desertification and over grazing and by the local people, increased salinity and pollution of water and soil due to increased discharge of agricultural runoff and industrial and municipal waste water to “Zayandeh river” and directly to the wetland. Drying due to decrease in the water inflow of the wetland because of intensive water withdrawal by farmers and for drinking purposes upstream, increase in bottom silt and extensive bird hunting and fishing.

Conservation Measures: Despite Ramsar designation, legal protection is limited. It is currently under hunting and fishing prohibition The site has been identified as an

Important Bird Area by Birdlife International.

104 Gomishan Lagoon

Gomishan Lagoon

Gomishan lagoom – Sunset

Gomishan lagoom - General view

105 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

106 Gomishan Lagoon

Location: The site is situated in the northern part of

Iran, along the extreme southern part of the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea. It lies on the border with

Turkmenistan, which contains the northern part of the wetland. The lagoon lies 9 km north of the city of Bandar and 4 km north of the small town of Gomishan. The elevation is the same as that of the adjoining Caspian Sea, which is 27 m below the global mean sea level.

Gomishal lagoon, 2005, photo by: M.B.Karimi

107 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Importance: The site is part of a completely natural coastal lagoon along the Caspian Sea. It supports the vulnerable bird species Pelecanus crispus, Aythya nyroca and Vanellus gregarious. Haliaeetus albicilla is considered to be at risk.

The vulnerable mammal Phoca (Pusa) caspica also occurs here. The bat Miniopterus shreibersii is in the lower risk category. Large numbers of waterbirds winter in the area.

Sometimes more than 150,000 birds have been counted.

Greater than 1% of the populations of the following waterbird species have been observed within the site at one time: Podiceps cristatus, Pelecanus crispus, Phalacrocorax carbo, Egretta alba, Ardea cinerea, Phoenicopterus ruber,

Anser anser, Cygnus cygnus, Anas Platyrhynchos, A. crecca,

A. strepera, A. penelope, A. acuta, A. clypeata, Aythya

108 Gomishan Lagoon

ferina, Mergus serrator, Fulica atra, Tringa tetanus,

Limosa limosa and Himantopus himantopus. The wetland is an important source of food for at least 15 fish species, and is part of the migratory route of the fish subspecies

Rutilus rutilus caspicus. This site was designated as a

Ramsar site at05/11/2001 due to meeting criteria

1, 2, 5, 6, 8

flamingos

Wetland Types: J The site consists of three ecological zones, each oriented are reed beds with Phragmites communis. in a north – south direction along the coast. The zone closest to the coast has a water depth of 0 - 0.5 m, and the vegetation is dominated by Salicornia europaea.

The middle zone of deeper open water harbours

109 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

submerged and floating vegetation. Along the sand strip in the west, there are reed beds with Phragmites communis.

Biological/Ecological notes: The site harbours the complete range of natural flora and fauna communities characteristic for this type of

coastal lagoon. There is a rich aquatic flora and invertebrate fauna. A range of some 81 species of waterbirds has been observed.

Hydrological/Physical notes: The wetland is separated from the Caspian Sea by a very narrow sandy barrier, which at several places does not reach the water surface. The water depth varies from 1 m in the south to 2.5 m on the

Turkmenistan border. As in the Caspian Sea, there is no tidal fluctuation. The lagoon receives water from a catchment consisting of two river basins. The Atrak River basin is 28,000 km². This river enters the bay in the northern part, in Turkmenistan. The Gorgan River atchment,

110 Gomishan Lagoon

south of this, is 10,200 km². The Gorgan river enters the

Caspian Sea at the southern end of the lagoon. The lagoon functions to stabilise the shore and trap sediments.

Human Uses: The lagoon and its surroundings are owned by the state. Since there is hardly any freshwater or fertile soil in the area, the 4,000 people living here depend on

fishing and hunting waterbirds. The most important fish in this respect is Rutilus rutilus caspicus, which migrates into the lagoon from the Caspian Sea during the winter and spring. Outside the site, at the vast

Gomishal lagoon, 2005, photo by: M.B.Karimi

111 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

floodplain to the east, there is some livestock grazing, and near the freshwater rivers, some agriculture. There is no

tourism or recreation at the site, and eventhough the potential exists, there are no plans to develop facilities. Up to the present time, no plans exist for environmental education of the local residents. Scientific research into several aspects of the site was carried out by different sections of the Department of the Environment, and professionals from Iranian universities, with financial aid of the Ramsar Small Grants

Fund (SGF). Five permanent field stations have been established.

Conservation Measures: The northern part of the site has been declared a “no-hunting and no-fishing area.” No other conservation measures have yet been planned. A 14,000 hectares part of the Gomishan lagoon was declared a “no- hunting and no-fishing” area in 1997. There are plans for

112 Gomishan Lagoon

upgrading it to a protected area level. Birdlife international has also identified it as an Important Bird Area.

Adverse Factors: Potentially, the most influential threat to the area seems to be the fluctuation in water levels in the

Caspian Sea. In the past, there have been years (e.g. 1978) in which the lagoon almost dried out, losing its biological role. The most important potentially damaging human activities at the site are excessive disturbance of waterbirds, over hunting, over fishing and converting the lands for agricultur and shrimp farming.In the surroundings, overgrazing is the most adverse factor. As the lagoon is connected with the Caspian Sea, all exotic species that were introduced there, may enter the site too.

113 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Govater Bay & Hur-e-Bahu

Hur-e-bahu General view

Iranian Crocodile

114 Govater Bay & Hur-e-Bahu

115 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Location: The site is located along the coast of the Gulf of

Oman, in the extreme southeast of the province of

Baluchestan, adjoining the Pakistan border.

Importance: The site is an excellent example of the semi- permanent riverine wetlands and estuarine mudflat and mangrove ecosystems that are characteristic of southern

Iran. The wetlands support a diverse flora and fauna that

Hur-e-bahu General view

116 Govater Bay & Hur-e-Bahu

is primarily Indo-Malayan in nature, thus playing an important role in maintaining the genetic and ecological

diversity of the region. The lower Sarbaz River supports a

substantial population of Crocodylus palustris, the

westernmost population of this South Asian species, while

Govater Bay harbours a wintering population of Pelecanus

crispus. Both species are considered globally threatened.

In winter, the area is also visited by the threatened raptor species Aquila heliaca. The rare Baluchestan race of the

Himalayan black bear, Selenarctos thibetanus, is believed

to occur in the reserve. The beaches are probably a major

sea turtle nesting site. The bay regularly supports over 1%

Hur-e-bahu - General view

117 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

of the regional populations of Phalacrocorax carbo, Larus

hemprichii, L. genei, Sterna caspia and S. bergii during the

migration seasons and in winter. This site was designated as

a Ramsar site at 01/11/1999 due to meeting criteria : 1, 2, 3,

6 (1a, 2a, 2b, 3c)

Wetland Types: A, F, G, I,

Tp (listed in descending order of dominance)The site comprises the lower part of the Sarbaz River,its estuary in the Govater Bay, a tiny rocky off shore islet and a 61 km long stretch of coast. The coastline consists of long sandy beaches backed by sand dune areas, as well as tracts of high cliffs. There are extensive intertidal mudflats in the estuary, and about 200 ha of mangrove.

Biological/Ecological notes: Mangrove areas in the estuarine zone are monospecific stands of Avicennia marina. The zone just above the highest water level in the valley consists of open park-like woodlands with Acacia, Prosopis,

118 Govater Bay & Hur-e-Bahu

Ziziphus and Tamarix species as well as date palms. Along the lower riverbed, there are stands of oleander and fan palms. The permanent pools in the riverbed support a rich submerged vegetation and a narrow fringe of emergent plants. Away from the river, vegetation is extremely sparse. The site contains habitats for various reptile species. Wintering bird species, besides those mentioned above, include Ciconia nigra, Platalea leucorodia, Haematopus ostralegus, Calidris alba, Limosa lapponica,

Numenius arquata, Tringa totanus, Larus ridibundus, L. cachinnans, Pluvialis alba, Haliaetus albicilla, Accipiter badius, Neophron percnopterus, Falco cherrug and F. peregrinus. Breeding birds include Ardeola grayii, Halcyon smyrnensis, Aquila rapax, Butastur teesa, Gyps bengalensis,

119 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Acrocephalus stentoreus and probably Pandion haliaetus.

The islet off the coast provides a roost for large numbers of seabirds. It is unsuitable for breeding because it is awash during storms. The area as a whole harbours at least

204 bird species. Mammal species include Herpestes edwardsi, Funambulus pennanti, Canis aureus, Hyaena hyaena, Lynx caracal, Felis pardus, Sus scrofa,

Gazella dorcas bennetti,Carpa hircus Aegagrus and Ovis ammon.

Hydrological/Physical notes: The region is generally extremely hot throughout the year, and has very little winter rainfall. Occasional winter rains in the interior of

Baluchestan cause some surface flow in the river in most years, and sometimes even torrential floods. During the other seasons, however, surface water in the riverbed is confined to a series of stagnant pools and marshes. In summer, however, the humidity rises because of the influence from the southwest monsoon.

120

Govater Bay & Hur-e-Bahu

Human Uses: The waters (river and bay) are owned by the government, the areas surrounding them (also parts of the site) are privately owned. The area is used for fishing and some grazing occurs on the riverside vegetation. There is a fishing village on Govater Bay near the mouth of the

Sarbaz River. Along the river, there are a few settlements with small cultivated plots. Accommodation for visitors is available at the Game Guard Stations in the area. Mid- winter waterbird counts and avifauna surveys have been carried out regularly by the Ornithology Unit of the

Department of the Environment. Recently a crocodile research station was established near the village of

Garmbit. The sites natural attractions and great scenic beauty provide a good potential for Ecotourism.

121 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Conservation Measures: The site is part of the Gando

Protected Area, which was established in 1971 as the Bahu

Kalat Protected Area (renamed later). BirdLife

International has also identified it as an Important Bird

?????? Area. No specific conservation measures have been

proposed or implemented.

Hur-e-bahu

Adverse Factors: A decrease in water level due to pumping

the river water for irrigation purposes, introduction of

invasive non-indigenous plant species, cutting Tamaris for

fuel and the establishment of shrimp farms are the

adverse factors for this site.

122

Govater Bay & Hur-e-Bahu

Govater bay in 2004 – photos by: M.B.Karimi

123 Hamun-e-Puzak,Saberi,Helmand

Hamun-e-Puzak Hamun-e-Saberi & Hamun-e-Helmand

Hamun-e-Saberi & Hamun-e-Helmand

Hamun – 1998 Hamun – 2001 124 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

125 Hamun-e-Puzak,Saberi,Helmand

126 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Location: The Hamun sites are situated in the Province of

Sistan & Baluchistan, in the Sistan Basin, northwest, northeast, west and southwest of Zabol. The Ramsar site of

Hamun-e-Puzak includes the southwestern portion of the vast Hamun-e-Puzak wetland, two-thirds of which lies in

Afghanistan. It is situated adjacent to the Hamun-e-

Reed harvesting in Hamun - 2008

127 Hamun-e-Puzak,Saberi,Helmand

in Afghanistan. It is situated adjacent to the Hamun-e-

Saberi and Hamun-e-Helmand Ramsar site, with which it forms one large wetland complex. Only half of Hamun-e-

Saberi lies in Iran, the other half is situated in

Afghanistan. This site was designated as a Ramsar site at

23/06/1975 due to meeting criteria : 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

(1a, 1c,1d , 2a, 2b, 3a, 3c)

Importance: The wetlands support an extremely diverse wetland flora and fauna, and thus maintain the genetic and ecological diversity of the region. They play a substantial hydrological and ecological role in the natural functioning of a major river basin shared between two countries: Iran

And Afghanistan. They support wintering populations of

Reed handicraft in Sistan - 2006

128 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

four globally threatened species of birds, Pelecanus crispus,

Aythya nyroca, Oxyura leucocephala and Aquila heliaca (the last two in Hamun-e-Puzak). There is probably also a small resident population of Marmaronetta angustirostris in

Hamun-e-Puzak. The lakes regularly support over 1% of the regional Middle East populations of Casmerodius albus,

Fulica atra, Grus grus, Himantopus himantopus, Pelecanus onocrotalus and Limosa limosa and at least nine species of

Anatidae.Hamun-e-Puzak is an excellent example of a large, permanent freshwater lake with extensive reed beds in an extremely arid desert region. Hamun-e-Saberi and Hamun- e-Helmand are outstanding examples of semi- permanent and seasonal wetlands characteristic of the desert regions of southwest Asia.

Hamun-e-Saberi, Helmand

129 Hamun-e-Puzak,Saberi,Helmand

Wetland Types: Hamun-e-Puzak: P, Ts, O It consists of a complex of shallow permanent and seasonal freshwater lakes with adjoining lagoons and marshes. The lake’s maximum depth is probably about 2 metres. The open water areas have rich submergent vegetation and extensive reedbeds. The site includes the extensive marshes around Takht-e- Edalat and Mahmoodi.

Hamun-e-Saberi and Hamun-e-Helmand: P, Ts, Ss, W, N

(listed in descending order of dominance) These are two large, semi-permanent, fresh to brackish lakes with extensive mudflats, reed-beds, sedge and salt marshes, riverine tamarisk thickets, bare salt flats, and vast sparsely vegetated desertic plains.

Black Francolin -Hamun

130 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

They are situated at the inland delta of the Helmand

(Hirmand) River. These lakes, along with Hamun-e-Puzak are the main lakes in the Sistan Basin. At times of peak flooding the entire complex of merged lakes can cover over

200,000 ha. Then an abundant submerged aquatic vegetation develops on the floodplain. Since prolonged drought in the 1980s, very little submerged vegetation is growing at the lakes. Recently (after 1992), most of the wetlands were dry.

Biological/Ecological notes: Hamun-e-Puzak is the most permanent area of marsh in the Iranian section of the

Sistan wetlands. Vast reedbeds of Phragmites australis cover much of the Hamun-e-Puzak, and there are only relatively small areas of open water. On the Iranian side

131 Hamun-e-Puzak,Saberi,Helmand

of the border, Typha sp. now dominates, having replaced

Phragmites since the 1970s. This is apparently the result of heavy grazing by domestic livestock. Open water areas support a very rich growth of submerged vegetation, principally Ceratophyllum demersum, while the margins of the wetland are fringed with Tamarix thickets and sedges

(Cyperaceae). Hamun-e-Saberi and Hamun-e-Helmand support marshes that are predominantly eutrophic.

Tamarix thickets grow in the marshes, with reeds

Phragmites australis, reedmace Typha sp., and Carex sp. sedges. Halophytic vegetation includes Halocnemum strobilaceum, sea lavender Limonium sp., glasswort Salsola spp. and the orache Atriplex sp. The Hamun wetlands are

Coot

132 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

extremely important as staging and wintering area for waterbirds, notably pelicans, herons, dabbling ducks, and shorebirds. In years of high water levels, they are also important breeding places for many species. In the 1970s it was found that, the numbers of Anatidae wintering in the

Sistan Basin vary from almost nil in extremely dry years, to over 700,000 in wet years. It is difficult to compare these figures with current counts. The drought of the early 1990s has resulted in an enormous decline in intering waterfowl.

This has also been attributed to prolonged drought in the early and mid-1980s and large-scale degradation of the aquatic vegetation. Common waterfowl species in winter are

Pelecanus crispus, Pelecanus onocrotalus, Casmerodius albus,

Ardea cinerea, Anser anser, Tadorna ferruginea and

T.tadorna,A nas crecca, acuta, Aythya ferina, Grus grus and Larus ridibundus.

Wintering raptors include

Acrocephalus melanopogon, A.

133 Hamun-e-Puzak,Saberi,Helmand

stentoreus, Milvus migrans, Circus aeruginosus, Haliaeetus albicilla, Aquila heliaca, A. clanga, A. nipalensis and Aegypius monachus. Mammals that have been recorded around the lakes are wolf Canis lupus, golden jackal Canis aureus, red fox Vulpes vulpes, striped hyena Hyaena hyaena, caracal

Lynx caracal, wild boar Sus scrofa, goitred gazelle Gazella subgutturosa and jebeer gazelle G. dorcas fuscifrons.

Hydrological/Physical notes: Hamun-e-Puzak lies in an

extremely arid region. It receives the great bulk of its

water from Parian branch of the Helmand River. The Puzak

lake is the first of the three lakes that fills up during

periods of flooding, and therefore it hardly ever dries out

completely. The rest of the area does dry out severely

during dry periods. There is no overflow from the lake

except in extremely wet years. Hamun-e-Saberi and

Hamun-e-Helmand are unusual in that they are

134 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

predominantly freshwater lakes, although they lie within an internal drainage basin. During years of heavy rainfall, the floodwater sweeps through all the lakes and overflows into a vast salt waste to the southeast, flushing the salts out of the system. Hamun-e-Saberi receives its water from the

Fara Rud, which enters in the northeast, and from overflow of Hamun-e-Puzak to the east. Hamun-e-Helmand receives its water from the southern branch of the Helmand river, and from overflow of Hamun-e-Saberi

to the north. In wet years the

average water depth is about 50 cm, and the maximum depth is about 1.5 m. The bottom of the lakes consists of alluvial silts.

The climate in this part of the country is hot and dry.

Human Uses: The sites are state-owned. Reed beds play a significant role in the local economy of the villages along the shoreline. The reeds are used for a number of purposes: as

135 Hamun-e-Puzak,Saberi,Helmand

forage for domestic livestock, for constructing boats

(“tutans”), for fabricating windbreaks for houses and gardens, and as a source of fuel for cooking and heating.

The rich fishery at the lake is used as a supplement to the income of the village people, and there is some illegal hunting at the site. The surrounding areas are mainly used for agriculture. “Shahre Sookhte” dating back to more than

3500 years ago and located in this area, belongs to one of the oldest civilization of Iran which had formed near these wetlands. The Ornithology Unit of the Department of the

Environment has carried out annual mid-winter censuses since 1970, and breeding season surveys on several other occasions. A major ecological study of the wetlands of the

Sistan Basin was carried out during the mid-1980s. More recently, the Department of the

Environment has embarked upon a study of the wetlands, as a part of its nation-wide inventory of wetlands.

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Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Conservation Measures: The western half of both Hamun-e-

Saberi and Hamun-e-Helmand lakes and a large area of desert were designated as a protected region in August

1967. This was enlarged in 1969, and reduced again in the

1970s, and it was upgraded to a wildlife refuge. It has since been downgraded to a protected area. Hamun-e-Puzak is just outside the national Protected Area (329,000 ha) of Hamun- e-Saberi and Hamun-e-Helmand. It is not legally protected, although personnel of the Department of Environment endeavour to maintain some control in the region. They have a small office at Gorgori near the wetland. Since July 1990, all three Hamuns are placed on the Montreux Record of priority sites for conservation action. A Ramsar Advisory

Mission visited the area in January 1992. They advised to merge the sites with the other two lakes in the basin, and

137 Hamun-e-Puzak,Saberi,Helmand

create one large protected area. The Mission also recommended that an integrated management plan should be developed for all wetland and water resources in the

Sistan Basin. In 2002 the Hamun protected area was enlarged to 283,000 ha which encompasses all three lakes.

They have also been considered as important habitat for birds by Birdlife international.

Sistani girl portrait Hamun - 2006

Adverse Factors: Irrigation schemes in both Iran and

Afghanistan have reduced the flow of water into the

Hamuns. As a consequence, the wetlands are only completely filled in very wet years. An average flow rate that was agreed upon by the two governments did not

138 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

result in any improvements, since the “average” flow was given in a winter bulk of water, not as a continuous flow.

Floods in 1991 destroyed a large dam and damaged the irrigation projects in Afghanistan and resulted on the increase of the inflow of water. However, there is a scheme to build a new, larger dam, the Kamal Khan Dam. Aquatic vegetation is almost absent. In the 1970s it would immediately recover after a dry period, but the dry period in the 1980s lasted much longer than normal. Excavation of tubers for fuel and massive stocking of the lakes with herbivorous fishes may also have contributed to the problem. Local farmers are concerned about the lack of aquatic vegetation as a source of grazing for their cattle and water buffalo. The majority of them have moved to the

Hamun-e-Puzak marshes on the Afghan border. Increasing soil salinity is becoming a very serious problem in the agricultural land bordering the wetlands. Some areas have been abandoned and others produce extremely low yields.

139 Hamun-e-Puzak,Saberi,Helmand

An asphalt road has been constructed that passes between the two lakes, Hamun-e-Saberi and Hamun-e-Helmand. A new canal that connects the two lakes will have a major effect on the hydrology of the system. A major unexplained kill of fish, pelicans, flamingos and shorebirds occurred in

1994.

Dried marshes of hamun

140 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Khuran Straits

Khuran - General view

Khuran - Satellite image

141 Khuran Straits

142 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Location: The Khuran Straits (formerly Clarence Straits) are situated in the southern Persian Gulf. They are lying between the Iranian mainland (in the region of the Mehran and Kul/Rasul river deltas), and the large island of Gheshm

(or Qeshm). They are situated in the Province of Bandar

Abbas, about 60 km west-southwest of the city of Bandar

Abbas.

Harra (Mangroves) in Gheshm island - 2009

143 Khuran Straits

Importance: The wetlands of the Khuran Straits are an outstanding example of the coastal mudflat/mangrove system characteristic of deltaic and estuarine systems in the southern Persian Gulf and along the adjacent coasts of the Gulf of Oman. They provide a habitat for two globally threatened species: a wintering habitat for the pelican

Pelecanus crispus, and a regular feeding place for the green turtle Chelonia mydas. At Khuran Straits flora and fauna are very diverse, and the site thus works to maintain the genetic and ecological diversity of the region. The wetlands support large breeding colonies of Ardeidae. The mudflats regularly support over 20,000 waterfowl in winter, and over

1% of the regional Middle East populations of the

Pelicans in Harra (Mangroves) 2007

144 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

waterbirds Egretta gularis, Platalea leucorodia,

Haematopus ostralegus, Dromas ardeola, Numenius arquata,

Tringa cinerea, Larus ridibundus and Gelochelidon nilotica.

The wetlands are important spawning and nursery grounds for many fish species. This site was designated as a Ramsar site at 23/06/1975 due to meeting criteria : 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

(1a, 2a, 2b, 2c, 3a, 3c)

Wetland Types:

A, G, F, E, B, I (listed in descending order of dominance) The Khuran Spoon bill Straits is the largest mangrove-mudflat system in Iran. It is a vast complex of low-lying muddy islands, mangrove swamps, intertidal mudflats and creeks in the shallow straits between the island of Gheshm and the mainland coast. Within the straits, there are some 100,000 ha of islands, mangroves, mudflats and creeks. The mangrove forests reach their greatest development around a group of muddy islands in a

145 Khuran Straits

large bay on the northern shore of Gheshm Island opposite the Mehran Delta, but there are also significant stands along the outer margins of the Mehran Delta. In these areas and in the delta of the Kul/Rasul river to the east, vast areas of mudflats are exposed at low tide. Elsewhere along the Gheshm and mainland coast, the shoreline consists of wide sandy beaches and sand flats.

Biological/Ecological notes: The mangrove forests, which cover an estimated 6,800 ha, comprise monospecific stands of the black mangrove Avicennia marina. These are the most extensive stands of Avicennia in Iran, although most of the trees are stunted compared to those further east along the coast of Gheshm Island. They are also the most westerly stands of mangrove of any size in Iran. The mangroves and

Khuran Straits- Hara Jungles

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shallow inshore waters are an important breeding and nursery ground for many species of crustaceans and fishes important in the local fishery. In the shallow waters, red and brown algae (Rhodophyceae and Phaeophyceae) constitute the dominant vegetation. The adjacent coastal plains are mainly barren sand flats with scattered Acacia, Prosopis and other thorn trees. The site is extremely important for breeding and wintering waterfowl. The mangrove forests support the largest breeding colony of the Indian pond heron Ardeola grayii in Iran. The many other waterfowl species breeding in the area include Goliath heron Ardea goliath, green-backed heron Butorides striatus, crab plover

Dromas ardeola, great stone plover Burhinus oedicnemus,

Spoon bill in Harra (Mangroves) 2007 147 Khuran Straits

Saunders’ tern Sterna saundersi and gull-billed tern

Gelochelidon nilotica. Wintering birds include ducks, red- breasted merganser Mergus serrator, and the raptors white-tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla,marsh harrier Circus aeruginosus and several hawks. Green turtle Chelonia mydas occurs in significant numbers off the coast of Gheshm

Island.

Hydrological/Physical notes: The mangrove forests along the banks of the Mehran Delta protect the riverbanks from erosive forces.

148 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Human Uses: The site is state-owned. The most important activities at the site are fishing, (subsistence and commercial), cutting of mangroves for charcoal, and grazing by domestic livestock (mainly camels). There are small date gardens around some settlements, and there is some tourism at the site. The Ornithology Unit of the

Department of the Environment has carried out annual mid- winter censuses in most years since 1970, and there is a marine research Khuran Straits - Hara Harvesting station on the island of Hormoz to the east.

In the surrounding area there are a few small settlements and some small-scale agriculture. Conservation Measures: The main area of mangroves and mudflats (82,360 ha) was designated as a protected region in

1973. Its size was later increased to 85,686 ha and its status upgraded to national park (Hara National Park).

149 Khuran Straits

However, the park was

downgraded to protected

area in the 1980s.The entire

area of 100,000 ha has been

designated as a Ramsar site,

and since 1976 also as a

UNESCO Man and Biosphere Flamingo Reserve.

Adverse Factors: Some illegal cutting of mangroves for fuel and grazing by domestic livestock has been recorded.

The easternmost part of the site is not included within any legally protected area, and has been subject to logging of mangroves for charcoal production. There is some disturbance from fishing activities and boat travels in the straits. A part of the area is potentially at risk from the proposed development of a free port and of tourist facilities on Gheshm. There may be some pollution from the nearby port of Bandar Abbas, and oil pollution is an ever- present threat. 150 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Khuran Straits – Hara Harvesting

151 Lake Gori

Lake Gori

Lake Gori – General view

152 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

153 Lake Gori

Location: Lake Gori is situated in the Province of

Azerbayjan, on the north side of the main highway from

Tabriz to Teheran, about 40 km east-southeast of Tabriz.

The village Yvsef Abad is the only village nearby.

Lake Gori - General view

154 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Importance: Lake Gori is a good example of a natural wetland representative of the uplands of northwestern

Iran. It is a breeding site for Aythya nyroca and Oxyura leucocephala, which are globally threatened species. Besides that, Lake Gori is the only known breeding site for Podiceps grisegena in Iran, and an important breeding site for many other species of waterfowl. The lake supports over 1% of the regional Middle East breeding population of Podiceps nigricollis. This site was designated as a Ramsar site at

23/06/1975 due to meeting criteria : 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 (1a, 2a,

2b, 2c, 3c)

WetlandTypes: O, Tp, M, Lake Gori is a small fresh to brackish lake with ssociated marshes in the steppic uplands of northwestern Iran.

155 Lake Gori

There are extensive areas of reedbeds and there is abundant underwater vegetation. Overflow feeds a small stream to the northeast.

Biological/Ecological notes: Lake Gori is a eutrophic lake.

There are extensive areas of reedbeds Phragmites, rush

Juncus and sedges Carex and Scirpus around the shores of the lake. Lake Gori is primarily important as breeding area for waterfowl including Oxyura leucocephala. During the breeding season there are also large colonies of black- necked grebe Podiceps nigricollis and other grebe species,

coot Fulica atra, and a variety of ducks. For Podiceps grisegena it is the only breeding site in Iran.

Lake Gori - Winter

156 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Pelecanus onocrotalus occurs every now and then, presumably feeding birds from Lake Orumiyeh. A wide variety of waterbirds in small numbers visit the area during migration, including Anas querquedula, Fulica atra, Tadorna tadorna and Tadorna ferruginea. In winter, when the lake normally freezes over, there are no birds. The surrounding area is semi-arid, and there are some damp grasslands on the southwest.

Hydrological/Physical notes: The site comprises a freshwater/brackish lake, fed by rainfall, run-off, springs, seepages and small streams. The inflow is at its maximum

Lake Gori - White headed Duck

157 Lake Gori

after spring snowmelt. There are only slight fluctuations in water level. The lake has an average depth of 2-3 m. It always freezes over in winter, and by midwinter it is covered by deep snow. The bottom consists of a mud deposit on shale and rocks. The lake probably acts as a sediment trap for river water entering it.

Human Uses: The site is state-owned. The site is used for recreational wildfowl hunting, sport fishing, grazing and reed cutting. In weekends and holidays the people of Tabriz use it for outdoor recreation. The Ornithology Unit of the

Department of the Environment has carried

158 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

out a number of surveys on breeding waterbirds. In the surrounding area there is only one small settlement. There is wheat cultivation in the west and damp rassland in the southwest.

Lake Gori - White headed Duck

Conservation Measures: The site has no legal protection.

However, hunting is prohibited and the Department of the

Environment maintains some control over the area.

Adverse Factors: Excessive use of the lake water for irrigation purposes, entering of silt and fertilizers to the lake due to agricultural activities, establishment of turist centers in the southern section by the municipality and

159 Lake Gori

discharge of its wastewater to the lake, grazing of domestic animals inside the wetland borders, the introduction of non-indigenous aquatic species, establishment of animal farming complexes in the north

western part and collecting eggs by the locals are among

the adverse factors of this site.The lake is subject to

intensive recreational use, including shooting and fishing.

These activities cause a considerable amount of disturbance . to breeding waterbirds.

Lake Gori - White headed Duck

160 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Lake Kobi

Lake Kobi-Satelite image

Lake Kobi - General view

161 Lake Kobi

162 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

36°57’N Elevation: 1,240 m 45°30’E rea: 1,200 hectares

Location: Lake Kobi is situated in the province of West

Azerbaijan, between the towns of Mahabad and Miandowab,

75 km southeast of Lake Orumiyeh.

Lake Kobi

Importance: Lake Kobi is a particularly good representative of a natural brackish lake characteristic of the uplands of northwestern Iran. The area is an extremely important staging area for ducks and shorebirds. It regularly supports over 100,000 birds.

163 Lake Kobi

During mild winters large numbers of ducks stay at the lake.

Lake Kobi supports the regionally threatened species

Aythya nyroca and Oxyura leucocephala and 20 other vulnerable bird species. It also regularly holds more than 1% of twenty bird species, amongst which Anser anser, Anas clypeata, Aythya ferina and Fulica atra. This site was designated as a Ramsar site at 23/06/1975 due to meeting criteria:1, 2, 5, 6 (1a, 2a, 3a, 3c)

Wetland Types:O, Ss,Ts Lake

Kobi (or Ghopi Bob Ali) is a shallow, eutrophic, fresh to brackish lake with extensive Lake Kobi seasonally flooded marshes.

Biological/Ecological notes: Lake Kobi supports an abundant growth of submerged vegetation; there are extensive sedge marshes around much of the shoreline.

Phragmites communis reedbeds occur in the south and to the northwest, together with some grasslands. Regionally endangered bird species are Aythya nyroca, Marmaronetta

164 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

angustirostris and Oxyura leucocephala. Bird species of which the lake regularly supports over 1% of the population are Otis tarda, Haliaeetus albicilla, Nycticorax nycticorax,

Ardeola ralloides, Egretta garzetta, Ciconia ciconia,

Plegadis falcinellus and Vanellus vanellus (all breeding); and

Phoenicopterus ruber, Anser anser, Tadorna ferruginea, T. tadorna, Anas querquedula, A. clypeata, Aythya ferina,

Fulica atra, Himantopus himantopus and Tringa totanus(all wintering

or passing). Sterna albifrons is present in summer and may breed.

Hydrological/Physical notes: It receives its water from rainfall, local runoff, and from several springs, seepages and temporary watercourses that are fed by snowmelt. The maximum depth is 1.5 m. Lake Kobi overflows when full, flooding marshland to the north and west. It has no outlet channels, and it regularly freezes in winter. The bottom of the lake is composed of mud. Since it traps runoff water, it may be important for the groundwater level in the area.

165

Lake Kobi

Human Uses: The site is state-owned. It is also a source for food for the local population.The site is used for small scale hunting of wildfowl, and grazing. Kobi is an important site for preserving wildlife especially migrating birds. Mid- winter waterfowl censuses have been carried out by personnel of the Department of the Environment in most years since 1970. There have also been several surveys during the breeding season. The whole area is surrounded by steppe hills, with scattered settlements and cultivation to the north and the south. Thanks to natural attractions and great scenic beauty, a good potential for Ecotourism exists in the area.

Lake Kobi

166 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Conservation Measures: No conservation measures, apart from being a no hunting zone, have been taken andthere is no other form of legal protection of the site.

Adverse Factors: Drilling wells near the wetland and drainage for wheat cultivation, the hunting of water birds and the construction of a road close to the site are adverse factors for this Kobi lake.

Lake Kobi

167 Lake Orumiyeh

Lake Orumiyeh

Lake Orumiyeh - Sunset at the beach

168 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

169 Lake Orumiyeh

37°30’N Elevation: 1,280 m 45°30’E Area: 483,000 ha

Location: Lake Orumiyeh National Park is situated in a large internal drainage basin in Western Azarbayjan Province, 60 km southwest of Tabriz.

Importance: The lake is a very good example of a natural brackish to saline lake, with special characteristics for the biogeographic region. The lake, the mudflats around the lake and the undulated plains at the west provide wintering habitat to many species of threatened birds: Pelecanus crispus, Phoenicopterus ruber, Oxyura leucocephala, Aquila

Lake Orumiyeh - General view

170 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

heliaca, Marmaronetta angustirostris, Otis tarda, Cygnus bewickii, Falco cherrug, Haliaeetus albicilla, Aquila clanga,

Haliaeetus leucoryphus, etc.Four of them also breed at the lake: Pelecanus crispus, Phoenicopterus ruber, Gyps fulvus and Otis tarda. This wetland supports over 1% of the regional Middle East wintering populations of at least 13 species of waterbirds. This site was designated as a

Ramsar site at 23/06/1975 due to meeting criteria:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (1a, 1d, 2a, 2c, 2d, 3a, 3c)

Wetland Types: Q, Sp, M, N, R (listed in descending order of dominance) Lake Orumiyeh (formerly Lake

Rezaiyeh) is a vast hypersaline lake of great scenic beauty with numerous

Gull

171 Lake Orumiyeh

small islands and extensive salt-encrusted flats and shingle beaches. The lake is about 140 km long (from northwest to southeast) and up to 55 km wide, near its southern end. There are marshes with abundant aquatic vegetation in the

“deltas” of the many small rivers and streams that flow into the lake. The most extensive of these marshes is found at the mouth of the Jogatu Chay (river) at the south end of the lake.The lake includes 56 mostly small, uninhabited islands. Thelargest island, Kabudan or Ghoyoon Daghi, comprises 3,125 ha of hilly terrain covered with steppe vegetation and scattered trees.

There are rolling wheatlands west and south of the lake, and semi-arid steppes and hills to the north and east.Much of the surrounding semi-arid steppe has been converted to

wheat fields.

Satellite image

172 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Biological/Ecological notes:The lake supports an abundant growth of the algae Enteromorpha intestinalis and there is a build up of brine shrimp Artemia salina during the summer months. In years when salt concentrations remain low,

Enteromorpha becomes so abundant that the whole lake takes on the appearance of a thin vegetable soup. The lake is too saline to support any other plants or animals. The shoreline vegetation is dominated by species of Atriplex and

Suaeda. The marshes have typical saltmarsh plant communities with Juncus, some Phragmites reed-beds at river mouths, and some Tamarix stands. Remnant stands of pistachio Pistacia atlantica woodland survive on the larger islands, notably on Ashk and Abudan. Other conspicuous plants on those islands are buckthorn Rhamnus sp., species of wormwood Artemisia, Dianthus and grasses Hordeum and

173 Lake Orumiyeh

Bromus. The lake is extremely important for breeding

Pelecanus onocrotalus, Egretta garzetta, Plegadis falcinellus,Platalea leucorodia, Phoenicopterus ruber,

Tadorna ferruginea, Tadorna tadorna, Himantopus himantopus, Recurvirostra avosetta, Tringa totanus, Larus cachinnans armenicus and Larus genei. Other breeding birds include several pairs of Anser anser, Marmaronetta angustirostris and Aythya nyroca. Charadrius leschenaultii has been recorded during the summer months and may breed on the saline flats around the lake. Flamingos are known to breed in large numbers at lake Orumiyeh, and numbers still appear to be increasing slightly, with perhaps as many as 25,000 breeding pairs in recent years. Towards the end of the breeding season, the adults congregate in

Flamingo

174 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

huge rafts to moult. The vast mudflats surrounding the lake are the most important autumn staging area for migratory shorebirds and garganey Anas querquedula in

Iran. The lake appears to be an important moulting area for common shelduck Tadorna tadorna. The islands in Lake

Orumiyeh are the only known breeding site for lanner Falco biarmicus in Iran (at least five pairs), and also provide nesting sites for at least ten pairs of Neophron percnopterus. Falco cherrug, Gyps fulvus, Aegypius monachus and Falco peregrinus have been recorded during the summer months as visitors from the surrounding hills; and Haliaeetus albicilla and Falco columbarius occur in winter. A population of about 25 great bustards Otis tarda

frequents the area, and breeds there (at least 4 pairs).

Armenian sheep

Flamingo

175 Lake Orumiyeh

Wild sheep Ovis ammon were introduced on Kabudan Island in the 19th century, while Mesopotamian fallow deer Dama dama mesopotamica were introduced on Ashk in the 1970s.

Hydrological/Physical notes: Lake Orumiyeh has an average depth of about five metres, except in the southern portion where depth reaches eight metres. The bottom consists of mud or silt, often covered by salt crystals.

Salinities range from 80 to 280 ppt and the water temperature ranges from 3°C to 30°C. The salts present in the lake are very similar to those in seawater. Seasonal inflow is mostly from snowmelt. This causes the water level in the lake to rise 1 - 2 m in spring, and reach its highest levels in the first half of June. Evaporation then lowers the level again throughout the summer and autumn. The climate

Persian fallow deer

176 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Is semi-arid, with very hot summers and extremely cold winters. The mean annual rainfall is 400 - 600mm. The lake acts as a microclimate and moderates the weather during summer. Since 1996,substantial research has been conducted on the hydrology of the lake by the University of

Orumiyeh. The results are not yet available.

Human Uses: The site is owned by the government. Urmia is a significant site in preserving genetic reserves and diversity. The lake has little value for conventional outdoor recreation because of its extremely high salinity, but it has exceptionally high values for eco-tourism because of its great scenic beauty and spectacular concentrations of waterbirds. Local people believe that the lakeside mud has special medicinal properties. Several small steamer services

Lake Orumiyeh- Ashk island

177 Lake Orumiyeh

operate on the lake, ferrying people and supplies between five small ports, and there is some grazing by domestic livestock in peripheral marshes. The Department of the

Environment has carried out a considerable amount of research on the fauna of the lake and its islands, and especially on the introduced population of Ovis ammon and

Dama dama mesopotamica, and the breeding colony of

Phoenicopterus ruber. A large flamingo-ringing programme is going on at the lake. Mid-winter waterfowl counts have been carried out on an annual basis since the early 1970s.

Lake Orumiyeh islands

178 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Conservation Measures: Ghoyon Daghi (Kabudan) Island was established as a Protected Region in February 1960.

This was enlarged to encompass the entire lake and all its wetlands (483,000 ha) in August 1967. The Protected

Region was reduced to 465,000 ha and given the National

Park status in the early 1970s. The National Park has since then been reduced to its current size of 463,000 ha. In

June 1976 462,600 ha of the National Park were designated as a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve. The site has been identified as an Important Bird Area by

Birdlife International. The entire area of 483,000 ha was designated as a Ramsar site. An integrated management plan was prepared for Orumiyeh Lake National Park and is at the approval stage (National Report 1999).

Lake Orumiyeh

179 Lake Orumiyeh

Adverse Factors: Amoung the most important adverse factors is the construction of several dams on rivers pouring to the lake. This has resulted in a substantial loss in water inflow and the retreat of the water line, forming tens of thousands hectares of salt pans. The highway constructed in the middle of the lake connecting the two cities Orumiyeh and Tabriz, is another adverse factor affecting the lake. This road has impaired the natural connection between the north and south of the lake and has caused changes in the physico-chemical properties between the northern and southern sections. Discharge of communal waste waters which are delivered to the lake through the rivers, development of touristic complexes in the vicinity of the lake without Environmental Impact

Lake Orumiyeh- Shelduck

180 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Assessment(EIA) studies and the excessive and

unregulated use of fertilizers and pesticide/herbicides in

agricultural activities are other threats to the lake.

Lake Orumiyeh-Moshte Osman (Osmans fist)

181 Lake Parishan & Dasht-e-Arjan

Lake Parishan &

Dasht-e-Arjan

Lake Parishan - General view

Lake Parishan & Dasht-e-Arjan - Satellite image

182 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

183 Lake Parishan & Dasht-e-Arjan

Elevation: 2000 m (Arjan); 853 m (Parishan) 29°30’N 52°00’E Area : 6,200 hectares 2200 (Arjan); 4000 (Parishan)

Location: Lake Parishan and Dasht-e-Arjan are situated in the Province of Fars, in the Zagros mountains, 40 - 80 km west of Shiraz and 15 - 25 km south of Kazerun.

Importance: The wetland of Dasht-e-Arjan is an outstanding example of a freshwater wetland, characteristic of the highlands of western Iran. Lake Parishan is a good example of a brackish to saline wetland, characteristic for

Dalmation Pelican

184 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance the same highlands. They support five species of threatened birds: Pelecanus crispus, Marmaronetta angustirostris, Aythya nyroca, Oxyura leucocephala and

Aquila heliaca. Both wetlands support a very diverse flora and fauna, and thus maintain the genetic and ecological diversity of the region. In winter, the lakes hold over

20,000 waterfowl. They also support over 1% of the regional wintering populations of Pelecanus onocrotalus,

Phoenicopterus ruber, 11 species of ducks (Anatidae),

Fulica atra, Grus grus and Larus ridibundus. In breeding season large breeding colonies of herons (Ardeidae) and ibises (Threskiornithidae) can be found at the lakes, as well as over 1% of the regional populations for Plegadis

Dasht-e-Arjan- General view

185 Lake Parishan & Dasht-e-Arjan

falcinellus and Platalea leucorodia. This site was designated as a Ramsar site at 23/06/1975 due to meeting criteria:

(1a, 2a, 2b, 2c, 3a, 3c) : 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Lake Parishan Wetland Types:O,Q,R,Sp,Ts,N

(listed in descending order of

dominance) Dasht-e-Arjan and

Lake Parishan are two very different wetlands situated only

15 km apart. Dasht-e-Arjan is a largely seasonal, shallow

freshwater lake with extensive reedbeds. The wetland varies widely in size from year to year depending on rainfall,

but two large springs on the western side maintain some

permanent marsh throughout the year. The surrounding flats are usually covered by terrestrial grasses or remain as bare

baked mud, but in wet years sedges predominate. Lake

Parishan is a shallow, brackish to saline lake in the Zagros foothills. It is surrounded by marshes with halophytic vegetation. It is fed by a number of permanent springs and several seasonal watercourses. The salinity varies widely

186 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

according to the size of the lake. During the dry years of the early 1970s, the lake was brackish to saline, and marsh vegetation was confined to the western and eastern ends of the lake (near freshwater inflow). There were large areas of bare saltflats in the southwest bay. Throughout much of the 1980s and 1990s however, water levels have remained high and the water is now almost fresh. There are extensive reedbeds in many parts of the lake.

Biological/Ecological notes: Dasht-e-Arjan is a eutrophic lake. The marshes around it comprise extensive areas of reeds Phragmites australis and reedmace Typha sp. With fringing areas of rush Juncus spp. and other aquatic plants.

Lake Parishan is an oligotrophic lake surrounded by

White Pelican

187 Lake Parishan & Dasht-e-Arjan

eutrophic marshes. It also supports extensive beds of reeds, as well as halophytic vegetation like Salsola, Kochia,

Camphorosma and Halocnemum. Large areas of the semi- arid steppe around Lake Parishan have been converted to wheat fields. Nearby mountainsides are still covered with forests of oak, while the lower slopes are partially covered with steppe forest of almonds, hawthorn and hackberry. In much of the area, the shrub-like “Arjan” tree Amygdalus sp. is conspicuous. Both Lake Parishan and Dasht-e-Arjan are extremely important for waterfowl of a wide variety of species. Marbled teal Marmaronetta angustirostris breeds at Lake Parishan when conditions are suitable, and large

Herons' chick Lake Parishan

188 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

numbers winter at the wetlands. The ferruginous duck

Aythya nyroca occurs in small numbers all year round, and several pairs breed at Lake Parishan. The numbers of most other duck and coot Fulica atra have been decreasing recently, presumably because of increased disturbance by fishermen in motorised boats. However, improved agriculture to the south of the lake now provides better feeding habitat for greylag gooses Anser anser and crane

Grus grus. Water rail Rallus aquaticus, purple swamphen

Porphyrio porphyrio and Baillon’s crake Porzana pusilla breed in the marshes of Dasht-e-Arjan. Wintering raptors include white-tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla, marsh harrier Circus aeruginosus, imperial eagle Aquila heliaca, saker Falco

189 Lake Parishan & Dasht-e-Arjan

cherrug and barbary falcon Falco pelegrinoides. The great range of habitats within the protected area supports almost the full range of species typical for the montane steppe, pistachio-almond forest, oak forest and wetland systems of the central and southern Zagros mountains, as well as some species more typical of the Gulf coastal wetlands. Forty- four species of mammals have been recorded in the protected area (which is larger than the Ramsar site).

Dasht-e-Arjan - General view

Hydrological/Physical notes: Dasht-e-Arjan lies enclosed in a basin. It is unusual in that it drains out through a group of swallow-holes at its southeast corner. The bottom consists of alluvial mud. Lake Parishan lies enclosed in a drainage basin of about 29,000 ha in a broad valley between Zagros

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ranges. The lake has a muddy bottom. The physiography of the region comprises limestones that form spectacular escarpments, generally aligned as parallel ridges enclosing broad valleys with oak woodland.

Human Uses: The area is state-owned. Only a few activities have been recorded at the site. They are subsistence fishing, reed-cutting and extensive grazing by domestic livestock. The Ornithology Unit of the

Department of the Environment has carried out annual mid-winter censuses since 1967. There are plans to build a visitors centre.This site is renowned for its spectacular scenery. In the surrounding area there are a few small settlements with orchards and gardens, some wheat cultivation and other crops.

Lake Parishan- Fring Plates

191 Lake Parishan & Dasht-e-Arjan

Conservation Measures: A national park of 65,750 ha was established in 1972, but at the end of the 1970s it was downgraded to a Protected Area of 52,800 ha. The area of the original national park was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in June 1976.There is a game guard station on a peninsula overlooking the western part of

Lake Parishan. At both lakes hunting has been prohibited since 1973. The Ramsar Advisory Mission that visited the lakes in 1992 made several recommendations. The most important are to demarcate the borders of the site clearly with signs, and to prohibit any further drainage activities at lake Parishan.

Adverse Factors: Lake Parishan is under considerable threat from various sources, while Dasht-e-Arjan remains

Parishan- Pelicans Summer drought

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in reasonably good condition. Some 20 hectares of marsh at the extreme northwest corner of Lake Parishan were drained for agriculture about 20 years ago. Elsewhere around this lake, wet meadows have been replaced by cultivated fields. A small area of fishponds was established on the plains to the west of the lake in the early 1980s, and it is reported that 3 species of carp have been introduced to the lake. There has been a considerable increase in fishing activities, and the widespread use of outboard motor boats instead of traditional reedboats has resulted in disturbance to the waterfowl populations. Poaching remains a problem, as well as the accidental killing of waterfowl in fishing nets. At Dasht-e-Arjan poaching is also a problem. Two sets of high-tension power lines that cross the lake are dangerous to birds and are spoiling the beautiful scenery of the lake.

One of the lines has not been in use since it was constructed in the late 1970s.

193 Lake Parishan & Dasht-e-Arjan

Greylag Goose

Jam-e-Zarine Kourosh

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Miankaleh Peninsula,

Gorgan Bay &

Lapoo-Zaghmarz Ab-bandans

Miankaleh Peninsula- General view

Satellite image

195 Miankaleh Peninsula, Gorgan Bay & Lapoo-Zaghmarz

196 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

36°50’N Elevation: 27 m below sea level 53°17’E Area: 100,000 ha

Location: Miankaleh Peninsula, Gorgan Bay and Lapoo-

Zaghmarz Ab-bandans are situated in the Province of

Mazanderan, in northern Iran. They are located at the southeast extremity of the Caspian Sea, about 2 km west of the city of Bandar-e-Torkeman.

Importance: The wetlands of Miankaleh Peninsula and

Gorgan Bay are an outstanding example of a natural sand spit/coastal lagoon system characteristic of the south

Caspian region. They play a substantial hydrological and

Miankaleh Peninsula - Shrub Covering

197 Miankaleh Peninsula, Gorgan Bay & Lapoo-Zaghmarz ecological role in the functioning of the coastal systems of the southeast Caspian region. Miankaleh wildlife refuge is one of the finest waterbird reserves in the Western

Palearctic region. This site was designated as a Ramsar site at 23/06/1975 due to meeting criteria: : 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

(1c, 2a, 2b, 2c, 3a, 3c)

Wetland Types: K,J,6,Ss,Ts,E,W,M,A (listed in descending order of dominance) Gorgan Bay is a shallow, brackish embayment, almost cut off from the Caspian Sea by the 60 km long Miankaleh Peninsula, a low, sandy peninsula with coastal dunes, pomegranate scrub and grassland. There are extensive freshwater marshes and seasonally flooded Tamarix woodland at the west end of the bay, and marshes along its south shore. The Lapoo-

Zaghmarz Ab-bandans are two long narrow freshwater lagoons with fringing reedbeds on the landward side of

Miankaleh Peninsula - General view 198 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

the coastal dunes bordering the Caspian Sea. An ab-bandan is a small man-made reservoir or flooded rice paddy with a luxuriant growth of underwater vegetation. Around the

Lapoo-Zaghmarz Ab-bandans extensive mudflats are exposed at low water levels.

Biological/Ecological notes: Most of Miankaleh Peninsula is covered with a carpet of herbaceous plants, and grasses such as Agropyron, Bromus, Dactylis, Cynodon and Festuca.

The western half also supports scrubby woodlands with scattered pomegranate, hawthorn, rhamnus and blackberry.

There are a few large willow trees planted around shepherds’ houses. Much of the shoreline of the bay is fringed with a broad belt of rush and there are some large areas of glasswort flats. The marshes at the west end of

Miankaleh Peninsula – General view

199 Miankaleh Peninsula, Gorgan Bay & Lapoo-Zaghmarz

the bay are dominated by sedges, with small patches of reed-beds, clumps of rush and a large stand of tamarisk.

The marshes around Gorgan Bay are eutrophic due to the inflow of numerous streams, agricultural run-off and irrigation channels. Open water areas of the Lapoo-

Zaghmarz Ab-bandans support a rich growth of submerged and floating aquatic vegetation, mainly Ceratophyllum with some Potamogeton. The fringing marshes are dominated by beds of reed and reedmace, but there are also areas with pomegranate and other scrubs like Salix, Ribes, Rubus and

Punica. The change in water depth due to a rise in sea level has brought about a change in the waterbird populations

Bee eater Marsh Harrier

Red Shank Smyrna kingfisher

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that make use of the bay. Coot Fulica atra, which was hardly ever recorded before the 1970s, now constitutes the great majority of wintering waterbirds. The reserve is very important for its large population of raptors. Twenty- eight species have been recorded. Breeding species include osprey Pandion haliaetus, short-toed eagle Circaetus gallicus,and white-tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla. A large number of larks, thrushes, finches and buntings remain in winter. At least 288 species of birds have been recorded.

At Miankaleh Peninsula and Gorgan Bay the golden jackal

Canis aureus and wild boar Sus scrofa are abundant in the reserve, and the jungle cat Felis chaus also occurs. Caspian seals Phoca caspica occasionally come to the Caspian beach.

Miankale - Buffalo

201 Miankaleh Peninsula, Gorgan Bay & Lapoo-Zaghmarz

Hydrological/Physical notes: At Miankaleh Peninsula, a chain of 50 metre-wide sand dunes parallels the Caspian Sea

Coast. The dunes, which rise to about 4 m above sea level, form the highest point in the area. A rise in the sea level of the Caspian Sea of the last decade has resulted in a marked rise in water level of the Gorgan Bay and re-flooding of all those bare flats at the west end of the bay which had been exposed by falling sea levels during the previous decades.

On the seaward side of the peninsula, the sandy beach has virtually disappeared because of the rising sea level. Gorgan

Bay (23,800 ha) has a muddy bottom, and is oligotrophic, with a salinity of 10 - 12 ppt. It receives freshwater inflow

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from a number of small rivers and streams rising on the

humid north slope of the Alborz Mountains to the south. The

maximum water depth of the bay is 2 metres. The marshes

at the west end are flooded in autumn and winter. The

Lapoo-Zaghmarz Ab-bandans are situated about 10 km west

of the Gorgan Bay marshes. They are fed by irrigation

ditches and local run-off, and drain east into the Gorgan Bay

marshes. The water level fluctuates considerably.

Amir abad Port

Human Uses: Miankaleh Peninsula and Gorgan bay are state- owned. Gorgan Bay and the adjacent inshore waters of the

Caspian Sea support an important commercial fishery. At

Minakaleh Peninsula there is a fish processing factory, some farms,cultivation of cotton and wheat and some small villages.

203 Miankaleh Peninsula, Gorgan Bay & Lapoo-Zaghmarz

There is grazing by domestic livestock like sheep, water buffalo, goats, cows and horses. The Lapoo-Zaghmarz Ab- bandans are privately owned and used as a reservoir and as a traditional duck hunting area in winter. There is also some subsistence fishing, and irrigation of farmland during the dry season. Owing to its natural attractions and great scenic beauty, the site is one of the tourist attractions in the area.

Conservation Measures: The entire area of Miankaleh

Peninsula and Gorgan Bay was designated as a protected

region in May 1970. The wildlife refuge, to which 68,800 ha

of the area was designated between 1970 and 1975, was

designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in June 1976.

In January 1992 and May 1997 the site was visited as part

of a Ramsar Advisory Mission.

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Adverse Factors: Poaching and overgrazing by domestic livestock are relatively small threats at Miankaleh

Peninsula and Gorgan Bay.Irrigation schemes on agricultural land to the west and the south reduce the flow of freshwater into the marshes and the bay, especially in summer. The major threat to the site is the construction of an asphalt highway down to the centre of the peninsula to provide easy access to the fishery stations along the beach. The greatly increased access to the peninsula will inevitably lead to increased pressure for settlement, increased farming activities and increased poaching.

Introduction of invasive non-indigenous species and the construction of the” Amirabad” docks are other important adverse factors.

Cormorant

205 Neyriz lakes & Kamjan marshes

Neyriz Lakes &

Kamjan Marshes

Neyriz Lakes - General view

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207 Neyriz lakes & Kamjan marshes

29°40’N Elevation: 1525-1540 m 53°30’E Area: 108000 ha

Location: The Neyriz Lakes and Kamjan Marshes are situated in the Province of Fars, in a large intermontane basin in the eastern Zagros mountains, 50 - 160 km east of

Shiraz.

Importance: The Neyriz Lakes (Lake Bakhtegan and Lake

Tashk) are outstanding examples of saline lakes with associated fresh to brackish marshes, characteristic to the highlands of western Iran. Two globally threatened species, Anser erythropus and Aquila heliaca , occur in

Neyriz Lakes - Flamingo

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These wetlands also support a very diverse flora and fauna,

and thus help to maintain the genetic and ecological diversity of the region. The Neyriz Lakes support substantial breeding and wintering populations of

Marmaronetta angustirostris. During migration season and in winter, they hold well in excess of 20,000 waterbirds.

They support over 1% of the Middle East populations of

Plegadis falcinellus, Pelecanus onocrotalus, Phoenicopterus ruber, at least nine species of Anatidae, Fulica atra, Grus grus, Himantopus himantopus, Recurvirostra avosetta,

Calidris alpina, Limosa limosa and Larus ridibundus.This site was designated as a Ramsar site at 23/06/1975 due to meeting criteria: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 (1a, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3c)

209 Neyriz lakes & Kamjan marshes

Wetland Types: R, Ss, Sp, Ts, Tp, 3, 9, 1, N (listed in descending order of dominance) The site comprises two very salty lakes, Lake Bakhtegan and Lake Tashk, with a highly fluctuating water level, situated in an internal drainage basin (the Neyriz Basin) in the southeastern

Zagros mountains. It also comprises their extensive ‘delta’ and spring-fed marshes, and a large area of permanent, freshwater marshes and seasonally flooded plains along the lower Kur River to the west, the Kamjan Marshes. Lake

Tashk is fed by the Kamjan Marshes and a large permanent spring at Gumoon in the northwest. Lake Bakhtegan receives its water mainly from the Kur River, which enters at the west end,and from Sahlabad Spring on the south

Neyriz - Bakhtegan

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shore. The lakes are noted for their extraordinary range in salinities, from oligohaline at one end to hypersaline at the other. Kamjan Marshes formerly comprised about 10,000 ha of permanent and seasonal marshes along the Kur River, but large parts of it were drained for rice cultivation.

Despite this cultivation by drainage canals, many wetland habitats remains, including expanses of mudflats, reeds and other vegetation along canals, ditches and rice fields.Shortage of irrigation water and high salinities cause much of the reclaimed land to remain uncultivated. Some of the irrigation canals are becoming silted up, and parts of the drained land are reverting to marsh. New areas of

211 Neyriz lakes & Kamjan marshes

marsh have developed at the mouths of the two main drainage canals where they enter the western end of Lake

Tashk.

Neyriz Lakes - General view

Biological/Ecological notes: The Neyriz Lakes are oligotrophic. They support a dense submerged vegetation, including various algae, Ruppia maritima, Chara sp. and

Althenia filiformis, especially in areas with relatively low salinity. Amongst the abundant phytoplankton, diatoms are the most significant. The diatom Nitzschia sp. is the predominant species in hypersaline areas. The shoreline vegetation is dominated by Tamarix, Suaeda, Cressa cretica and Salicornia. Kamjan marshes support and emergent marsh vegetation dominated by Carex sedges, Phragmites reeds, species of goosefoot (Chenopodiacaeae) and grasses.

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Lake Tashk and Lake Bakhtegan regularly hold huge numbers of waterbirds in winter (e.g. 120,000 - 140,000 surface feeding ducks and 50,000 Phoenicopterus ruber in

January 1992). Other waterbirds occurring in large numbers in winter include Ciconia ciconia, Plegadis falcinellus, Anser anser, Tadorna tadorna, Grus grus and some shorebirds. In recent years Dalmatian pelican

Pelecanus crispus has been a frequent visitor. Several bird species including Marmaronetta angustirostris, Porzana pusilla, Himantopus himantopus,Recurvirostra avosetta and

Vanellus leucurus breed at the lakes. The mammalian fauna of the reserve includes Canis lupus, C. aureus, Vulpes vulpes, Ursus arctos, Hyaena hyaena, Lynx caracal, Felis

213 Neyriz lakes & Kamjan marshes

chaus, Panthera pardus, Sus scrofa, Gazella subgutturosa,

Capra hircus aegagrus and Ovis ammon. Aphanius sophiae is the only species of fish recorded at the lake. Zooplankton at the lakes includes the ciliate Fabrea salina and the foraminifera Streblus beccarii. Flagellata probably constitute most of the nanoplankton. Crustaceans and copepods are abundant, their distribution showing a distinct correlation with salinity, while ostracods and nematodes form the bulk of the benthic fauna .

Neyriz Lakes - Avocet

Hydrological/Physical notes: Lake Tashk and Lake

Bakhtegan together form a large oxbow, each lake being

half of the bow. They have a catchment area of 26,440 sq.

km. It is formed where the northwest to southeast folded

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ridges of the Zagros Mountains impinge upon the buckled edge of the Central Plateau. Water levels in both lakes fluctuate widely according to rain and snowfall in the mountains. During very wet winters the lakes may become temporarily joined to form a single expanse of water of up to 181,000 ha. In summer no water reaches the lake, since it’s all used for irrigation purposes. After very dry years the lakes may almost dry out except for small patches near their feeding springs. This occurred in 1933-1934 and 1971.

The lake bottoms are covered by alluvial mud, sapropel, silt and some sand, deposited mainly by the river and floodwaters. The climate is characterised by hot, dry summers and mild winters. The basin receives low winter rainfall, average 100 - 400 mm. Frosts are rare and heavy snowfalls are exceptional.

Wild pigs in the dried lake bed

215 Neyriz lakes & Kamjan marshes

Human Uses: The Neyriz Lakes are owned by the government. The lakes are one of the major sources of agricultural water for their surroundings. At Lake Tashk, there is subsistence fishing in fishponds. At the Kamjan

Marshes, there is livestock grazing and rice cultivation.

Some nomadic tribes live in the area with their cattle, and there are small settlements with adjacent agricultural areas. The plains of the lower Kur valley are either under cultivation for barley, cotton, sugar beet and fruit, or remain as heavily grazed semi-desertic steppe. The

Ornithology Unit of the Department of the Environment has carried out annual mid-winter censuses since 1968, and many other bird surveys have been undertaken. Thanks to natural attractions and great scenic beauty, a good potential for Ecotourism exists in the area .

Squacco heron

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Conservation Measures: Lake Bakhtegan, Lake Tashk and the intervening hill ranges were first protected as the

Bakhtegan protected region in 1968. In the early 1970s this was upgraded to a wildlife refuge, with a size of 327,820 ha, not including Kamjan Marshes nor Gumoon Springs. The site does include both the marshes and the springs, but it does not include the steppes between the lakes. Since 1990, the site has been included in the Montreux Record of priority sites for conservation action. Niriz lake has been designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1976. A Ramsar Advisory

Mission that visited the site in 1992 made several recommendations. The most important are to try to restore the marshes at the Gumoon springs, and restore and manage the Kamjan Marshes as a buffer zone for the wildlife refuge. During dry years the water supply to the lakes and marshes should be ensured.

217 Neyriz lakes & Kamjan marshes

Adverse Factors: There is a proposal to build a paved road between the lakes and the Kamjan Marshes. This may accelerate the conversion of wetland to agricultural land. It would have unpredictable consequences for the wetland and the overall hydrology of the system. A major drainage programme of the Kamjan Marshes has already destroyed much of the original marsh vegetation. Further drainage . could have a profound effect on the quality of the water entering lake Tashk, since much of its inflow comes through the Kamjan Marshes. It is also feared that with better accessibility, poaching will increase. The construction of a large water storage reservoir on the Kur River, Dorudsan

Dam, in the 1970s and various irrigation projects have reduced the flow of water into the lakes.

White cheeked Tern

218 Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Shadegan Marshes &

mudflats of Khor-al

Amaya & Khor-e-Musa

Shadegan Marshes - Marshes

Satellite image

219

Shadegan Marshes, Khor-al Amaya & Khor-e-Musa

30°30’ N Elevation: 0 - 15 m 48°45’ E Area: 400,000 ha

Location: Shadegan Marshes and the mudflats of Khor-al

Amaya and Khor-Musa are situated in the Province of Khuzestan, at the head of the Persian Gulf near Abadan, 50-150 km south of the city of Ahwaz. This is at the southern frontier with Iraq.

Importance: Shadegan Marshes and the tidal mudflats of

Khor-al Amaya and Khor Musa are outstanding examples of floodplain wetlands and coastal mudflat ecosystems characteristic of the Persian Gulf.

Shadegan Marshes - Marshes

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The wetlands play a significant hydrological and ecological role in the natural functioning of the northern Gulf. The wetlands support a very diverse flora and fauna, and thus play an important role in maintaining the genetic and ecological diversity of the region. The seasonal marshes and mudflats are important breeding and nursery grounds for various fish species, and support large breeding colonies for several species of birds. The Shadegan Marshes are the most important site in the world for marbled teal

Marmaronetta angustirostris, regularly supporting 10,000-

20,000 in winter, which is 30-60% of the world population.

They also support appreciable numbers of three other

mudflats of Khor – Sunsrt

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Shadegan Marshes, Khor-al Amaya & Khor-e-Musa

threatened species: Pelecanus crispus, Aythya nyroca, and

Aquila heliaca. The wetland also supports over 1% of the regional Middle East breeding populations of the gulls and terns Larus genei, Gelochelidon nilotica and Sterna albifrons. During the migration seasons they hold over 1% of the regional population of Anas querquedula and in winter over 1% of the regional populations of Ciconia ciconia, Phoenicopterus ruber, nine species of Anatidae,

Haematopus ostralegus, Himantopus himantopus,

Recurvirostra avosetta and Larus ridibundus. This site was designated as a Ramsar site at 23/06/1975 due to meeting criteria: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 (1a, 2a, 2c, 3a, 3c)

Shelduck

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Wetland Types: G, Ss, M, N, Sp, A, F (listed in descending order of dominance) The wetland comprises the southern portion of the extensive floodplain and delta system of the Karun, Dez and several other rivers, which rise in the northwest Zagros Mountains of western Iran.

The better-drained areas in the north support fresh to brackish marshes, which give way to halophytic vegetation in the central floodplain. There are barren tidal saline mudflats to the south. Shoreline relief is typically a narrow or indistinct beach with vast silt or sandy tidal flats, up to

10 km wide in some places. Numerous small islands exist, and additional islands are forming as a result of deposition from the Karun river and Shatt Al Arab. There are creeks, mudflats and

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Shadegan Marshes, Khor-al Amaya & Khor-e-Musa

sandbanks between the islands. Autumn and winter rains in the Zagros Mountains cause extensive flooding throughout the delta, creating a vast complex of shallow lagoons with extensive sedge marshes. These dry out gradually during the long, hot summer, and the entire area may be completely dry by the end of the summer.The wetland is bordered by barren flats to the east, northwest and north, and in the north there are also some sedge marshes that almost dry out during summer. To the northeast there is a large area of rice fields, date gardens and settlements.

Biological/Ecological notes:

The extensive seasonal freshwater marshes in the north are dominated by Schoenoplectus sp., and there are only small patches of reeds and reedmace. The brackish and saline areas further south are dominated by glasswort and other salt marsh species, with patches of tamarisk scrub on higher grounds. Shadegan Marshes and the mudflats of

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Khor-al Amaya and Khor-Musa are an extremely important wintering habitat for a wide variety of waterfowl. The mudflats at the head of the Gulf hold many thousands of shorebirds in winter, including large numbers of Eurasian oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus, bar-tailed godwit

Limosa lapponica, Eurasian curlew Numenius arquata and common redshank Tringa totanus. Breeding waterfowl include various herons and egrets,a few pairs of ferruginous duck Aythya nyroca, various shorebirds, and colonies of five species of terns. The vast sedge marshes are the stronghold of zitting cisticola Cisticola juncidis in Iran.

Raptors are abundant in winter, and include black kite

Milvus migrans, white-tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla, imperial eagle Aquila heliaca, greater spotted eagle A. clanga, saker Falco cherrug, peregrine F. peregrinus and

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Shadegan Marshes, Khor-al Amaya & Khor-e-Musa

merlin F. columbarius. Golden jackal Canis aureus and wild boar Sus scrofa are common in the reserve.

Hydrological/Physical notes: The wetland comprises the southern portion of the extensive floodplain. The delta region is fed by overflow channels from the River Karun, seepage, irrigation canals, and to a lesser extent by local rainfall and run-off (maximum in late winter). The water level is higher following spring floods, but drains into the

Gulf. The maximum water depth is 1 m, the average is very variable. The area is characterised by extremely high temperatures. Frosts are rare.

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Human Uses: The government owns the major part of the area. There is about 1,000 ha of privately owned rice fields in the north. The marshes are one of the major agricultural water sources for their surroundings. The harvest of reeds is of considerable importance in the local economy. Reeds are used for thatching and weaving. There is some subsistence fishing and livestock grazing. Part of the wetland is cultivated in privately owned rice paddies. In the south the river is used for shipping traffic. A major oil terminal is located at Bandar Shahpur to the southeast, and there is a considerable amount of shipping traffic in the south, and from the ports of Khorramshahr, Bandar

Mashur and Bandar Shahpur. Large areas of mudflats in the south are extremely difficult to access and therefore not used at all. Since 1971 the Ornithology Unit of the

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Shadegan Marshes, Khor-al Amaya & Khor-e-Musa

Department of the Environment has undertaken annual mid- winter censuses, and several breeding-season surveys on other occasions. A good potential for Ecotourism exists in the area.

Locals fishing – Shadgan

Wetland Conservation Measures: A wildlife refuge of 296,000 ha,

encompassing all the main wetland areas and the coastal

mudflats in the south, was established in 1972 and has

remained unchanged since then. Hunting is prohibited at the

site.Since June 1993 the site is listed on the Montreux Record of priority sites for conservation action because of

the damage done during the Iran-Iraq war. In 2001 due to

extensive development plans parts of the wild life refuge have been eliminated. Otherparts from “Khordoragh” at the east of the wetland have been added to it.

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Adverse Factors: The principal long-term threat to the marshes is diminished water supply as a result of diversion of water for irrigation schemes further north. Some of the area has been degraded to sterile silt flats by soil deterioration resulting from poorly managed irrigation schemes in the past. Sedimentation from the “Karun” and

“Jarrahi” rivers has a part. The marshes are gradually turning saline because of ther salts carried in by the

“Jarrahi” river and strong winds from the western deserts.

Some oil pollution has been reported on the beaches around

Bandar Shahpur in the southeast. Illegal hunting occurs throughout the area, and there is little control by

Department of the Environment personnel. Shadegan

Marshes are situated in a military zone close to the border

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Shadegan Marshes, Khor-al Amaya & Khor-e-Musa

with Iraq. The Iranian National Reports of 1987 and 1990 indicated that the wetlands in the border areas had been severely polluted by bombardments with chemical weapons during the Iran/Iraq war in the 1980s.

It was estimated that about 10% of Shadegan Marshes had been destroyed in that way. The marshes may also have suffered some damage as a result of “acid rainfall” during the Gulf War of 1991.

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Sheedvar Island

Sheedvar Island - General view

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Sheedvar Island

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53°24’ N Elevation: 0-8 m 26°48’ E Area: 870 ha

Location: Sheedvar Island is located in the Province of

Hormozgan, about 2 km off the eastern tip of Lavan

Island, and about 9 km off the mainland coast, in the central Persian Gulf.

Importance: The site is a representative example of a low lying offshore island with fringing coral reefs, characteristic of the Persian Gulf. It harbours important nesting areas for the endangered turtle species

Eretmochelys imbricata and Chelonia mydas. There are

Sheedvar Island - General view

233

Sheedvar Island

large colonies of breeding seabirds, often containing over

20,000 individuals. It regularly supports over 1% of the populations of Sterna repressa (up to 30,000 breeding pairs), S. anaethetus (up to 15,000 breeding pairs) and probably of S. bengalensis. It also harbours the only breeding colony of Phalacrocorax nigrogularis in Iran. This site was designated as a Ramsar site at 29/12/1999 due to meeting criteria: 1,2,4,5,6, ( 1a, 2a, 2c, 3a, 3c) .

Biological/Ecological notes: The sand dunes on the island are sparsely vegetated with typical sand dune plant communities. The flat area in the centre supports an arid steppe vegetation dominated by Atriplex sp., which in places forms an impenetrable shrub layer up to 60 cm in height.

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Other plant species in this area are Sueda vermiculata,

Aeluropus lagopoides, Cistanche sp., Cyperus rotundus,

Ephedra littoralis and Salvadora persica. A small poisonous snake, of the Viperidae family, is abundant and has give rise to an alternatively name for the island, Maru (snake) Island.

In addition, the island offers breeding grounds for birds like Sterna bergii, Egretta gularis, Butorides striatus,

Galerida cristata and Prinia gracilis. Several raptor and wader species have been recorded in the area.

Adverse Factors: Bird or turtle egg collection does not pose a threat to the site anymore. The surrounding sea is in danger of pollution from oil spills at the oil terminal on nearby Lavan Island, and from oil tankers in the shipping lanes.

Sheedvar - Coral Reef

235

Sheedvar Island

Hydrological/Physical notes: The maximum elevation of the island is 8 m. It is composed of a coral conglomerate which is almost completely hidden by an overlay of sandy soils and dunes above the high water mark.Along the southern, western and northwestern shores the rock is exposed as low cliffs, which do not exceed 2 m in height.

The remainder of the shoreline consists of a narrow sandy beach. There are no springs or other surface water on the island. Rainfall is low, and temperatures in summer can be extremely high.

Western Reef Heron

Green sea turtle

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Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Human Uses The government owns the site and its surroundings. It is managed by the Department of

Environment. The island is uninhabited, although there are ruins of a stone building indicating former occupancy. Some collection of bird or turtle eggs takes place, but far less than in the past. There is hardly any tourism to the site.

Accommodation facilities for visitors are available on nearby Lavan Island. During recent decades field surveys of birds and turtles have been carried out by the Ornithology

Unit and others, from the Department of the Environment.

Its wonderful views and peaceful shores make it a favorable location for photographers and tourists.

Sheedvar - Coral Reef

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Sheedvar Island

Conservation Measures: The entire island (97 ha) was designated as a Protected Area in 1971 and upgraded to a

Wildlife Refuge in 1972. Notices were erected, and

Department personnel are stationed on the island during the bird-breeding season. It has been recognized as an important bird habitat by birdlife international and a wetland of international importance by the Ramsar convention in 29/12/1999.

Sheedvar - Coral

Bridled Tern

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Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

Shur Gol, Yadegarlu

& Dorgeh Sangi Lakes

Shul Gol – General view

239 Pochard

Shur Gol, Yadegarlu & Dorgeh Sangi Lakes

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Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

37°00’ N Elevation: 1,290 m

045°30’ E Area: 2,500 ha

Location: The site is in the Province of Azarbayjan-e-

Gharbi in northwest Iran, 35 km northwest of the city of

Mahabad. I is consisted of three separate lakes located at the south of urumiyeh lake.

Importance: Shur Gol, Yadegarlu and Dorgeh Sangi lakes support at least five threatened species of birds.

Marmaronetta angustirostris, Aythya nyroca and Oxyura leucocephala breed in the wetland, and Anser erythropus and Otis tarda occur on passage. The three lakes show a high diversity of wetland fauna and flora. They form an

ShurGol – General view

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Shur Gol, Yadegarlu & Dorgeh Sangi Lakes

important feeding habitat for Pelecanus onocrotalus and

other species from internationally important breeding

colonies at nearby Lake Uromiyeh. The wetlands regularly

hold more than 20,000 waterbirds during seasonal

migr ations and in winter, and they regularly support over

1% of the regional Middle East populations of eight species

of waterbirds. This site was designated as a Ramsar site at

23/06/1975 due to meeting criteria:2,3,5,6(2a, 2b, 3a, 3c).

Wetland Types: P, R, Ts , Ss, N (listed in descending order

of dominance)The site is composed of three physically

separated units, each of which includes one of the lakes

(Shur Gol [2000 ha], Yadegarlu [350 ha] and Dorgeh Sangi

[150 ha ])and their associated seasonally flooded

يادگارلو، نمای عمومی

Yadegarlu – General view

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Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance

marshlands.Shur Gol is brackish to saline and the adjoining

brackish marshes usually flood in autumn or winter.

Yadegarlu is a much smaller, freshwater lake with adjoining

marshes. It varies considerably in size and may become

almost dry in summer. Dorgeh Sangi is the smallest of the

lakes and contains fresh water. It supports some

underwater vegetation and there is also bare mud when the

water level is low. Its size varies greatly according to

seasonal rainfall.

Biological/Ecological notes: Shur Gol is a eutrophic lake.

There are extensive stands of sedge Carex spp.,

particularly in the southwest and northeast, a mixture of

grasses and abundant underwater vegetation. It is

important as a nesting place for ducks like ruddy shelduck

Yadegarlu – General view

243

Shur Gol, Yadegarlu & Dorgeh Sangi Lakes

Tadorna ferruginea and marbled teal Anas angustirostris, and also for various waders (Limicolae and Sterninae). There is a large variety of other waterbirds visiting the area on migration, like Anas and Aythya spp. among the ducks and coot Fulica atra. Small numbers of Anatidae, including smew

Mergus albellus, stay in winter.

Yadegarlu – General view Yadegarlu is a much smaller, eutrophic lake. The surrounding marshlands support a vegetation of grasses and sedges

(Cyperaceae), and the lake has abundant underwater vegetation. Generally, conditions are excellent for breeding waterfowl. Breeding birds include great crested grebe

Podiceps cristatus, white stork Ciconia ciconia, some ducks, coot Fulica atra, and Limicolae. During migration various waders (Limicolae), greylag goose Anser anser, Anas spp.

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Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance and Fulica atra visit the area. In winter small numbers of Anas and Aythya spp. Mergus albellus and, occasionally,

Bewick swans Cygnus bewickii stay at the lake. Dorgeh

Sangi is eutrophic like the other lakes, but there is surprisingly little vegetation, mainly grasses and sedges.

There is some underwater vegetation and also bare mud when the water level is low. In spring and autumn conditions are excellent for waterbirds. The lake is important for breeding and migrating waterbirds. When not frozen over winter it supports large numbers of Anatidae and sometimes Bewick swans. Nesting species include black- necked grebe Podiceps nigricollis, coot Fulica atra and marbled teal Marmaronetta angustirostris.

White Stork

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Shur Gol, Yadegarlu & Dorgeh Sangi Lakes

Hydrological/Physical notes: Shurgol was a shallow lake.

The Hassanlu Marshes around Shur Gol usually flooded in autumn or winter and were fed by a combination of rainfall, runoff from surrounding grounds, seepage, springs and small streams. In occasions, the lake dried out completely.

Now the lake is fed by the Godarchay river and has permanent sweet water. Now the depth reaches 4 meters.

The average rainfall is 350 mm in the area. Yadegarlu is a smaller lake with peripheral marshes. It’s size fluctuates, and it’s depth too, although it is never over 1 meter deep.

In winter it freezes over. It receives its water in the same ways as Shur Gol did before. Now because of drainage schemes the lake has completely dried out. Dorgeh Sangi is a Brackish to salty lake and marsh, fed by small springs,

Yadegarlu

24 6

Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance seepages,rainfall and run-off Sometimes it overspills to the west, but because of drought it can be reduced to a third of its maximum size in late summer. Over winter the lake is usually almost completely frozen. It has a muddy bottom.

Yadegarlu

Human Uses: The site is state-owned. There are several settlements interspersed among the lakes. There is some grazing, reed-cutting and hunting. The lakes are also used as a water reservoir. The main road to Rezaujah passes through the wetland. The Department of Environment has done some waterfowl surveys at the lakes. In the surrounding area wheat, cultivation and agriculture occur around a few villages. As to natural attractions, a good potential for Ecotourism exists in the area.

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Shur Gol, Yadegarlu & Dorgeh Sangi Lakes

Conservation Measures: Designation under the Ramsar

Convention is the only official status this site has. The wetland was placed on the Montreux Record of priority sites for conservation action in July 1990, due to problems at Lake Yadegarlu. There is no legal habitat protection, but the Department of the Environment exerts some control over hunting activities in Shurgol area.

Adverse Factors: Three recurring threats to the site are over-grazing of lakeshore vegetation by domestic livestock, over-grazing of the aquatic vegetation, and excessive wildfowl hunting. Due to expansion of the local population, urbanisation may begin to adversely affect the site, especially through conversion of marshes for agriculture.

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Directory of Iranian Wetlands of International Importance REFERENCES

-Birdlife International website, http://www.birdlife.org.uk, Last visit: 16 January 2004 -Denton P., The Wonder of Wetlands, WWF 1996 - Eskandar F., Widelife of Iran , Center for Academic publication 1998

-Majnonian H.,Classifying and preserving wetlands – Values and application, DOE 1998 -Mansouri J., Field manual for birds of Iran, 1999 -Office for Habitats and regions affairs, Program for ecological and biological evaluation of natural environment, Project for sustainable use and management of internationally important wetlands (Preparing ID for national wetlands), 1999 -Ramsar convention website, http://www.ramsar.org, Last visit: January 2011 -Scott D. A., A directory of wetlands in the Middle East, 1996 -Svensson L.S.P., Grant, Collins Bird Guide, Harper Collins 1999 -Wetlands International website, http://www.wetland.org, Last visit: January 2011 World Wide Fund for Nature ،(WWF) Website, http://www.wwf.org, Last- visit:January2011

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Front cover images: Below: Ulmagol wetland on: 07 November 2003

Middle (Left): Siberian Crane, Grus Leucogeranus

Middle (Right): Bewicks Swan, Cygnus columbianus

Top: Coral reef, Shidvar Island

Back cover image: Evan Lake

(اسم علمي اورده شود) Anzali Wetland