Lake Salda ( Turkish : Salda Lake ) is a medium-sized crater lake located within the borders of the Yeşilova district of Burdur province , in southwest Turkey , approximately fifty kilometers west of Burdur province . It covers part of a region in southwestern Anatolia known as the Lake District .
geography and geology
Although morphologically different from the larger lakes further west and being a crater lake, Salda Lake is often referred to as part of the Turkish Lake District, which stretches into Western Central Anatolia and to the south, particularly to the south. in the provinces of Isparta and Afyonkarahisar . Located at an altitude of 1316 m, the lake covers an area of 4,370 hectares and its depth reaches 196 meters, making it one of the deepest, if not the deepest, lakes in Turkey. The lake's sedimentary historical data shows high-resolution climate changes related to solar variability over the last millennium.
It is a popular travel destination in the region and the rest of the country, especially because of the hydromagnesite mineral found on its shores and believed to cure some skin diseases .
Features
In addition to the beauty of the water and the beautiful view of its turquoise color, the small beaches on the southwest and southeast coasts allow the area to be used for recreation. Salda Lake is located approximately 60 km west of Burdur. It has the distinction of being the deepest, cleanest and best-known lake in Turkey. Its height above sea level is 1140 m. The presence of magnesium, soda and clay in the lake water has beneficial effects in the treatment of some skin diseases. According to experts, lake water is good for acne. Partridges, rabbits, foxes, wild boars and wild ducks live in the forest behind the lake. As the water level in the lake decreases, seven white islands can be observed.
flora and fauna
Surrounded by larch forests, the shoreline is popular with hunters due to lake fish as well as game animals such as quail, rabbits, foxes, wild boars and wild ducks, and the birds that live here. White sandy beaches, crystal clear water and seven crystal white islets in the lake complete the landscape. Starting almost from the southwest shore of the lake, the village has the same name, Salda. Yeşilova's local government office is located approximately four kilometers to the east of the lake, and Yeşilova municipality manages the camp facilities on the lake. Its unique morphology has led to numerous academic studies on Salda Lake. The unusually alkaline nature del lago determines that it is one of the few places where ancient stromatolite algae still grow.
hydrographic features
Salda Lake is a water lake with very high alkalinity. According to the nutritional status index, it is oligotrophic and of poor quality in terms of nutrients. This is indicated by the very low nitrogen and phosphate products and the consequent very low chlorophyll concentration.
Salda Lake is fed by surface and underground waters. Evaporation affects the water level in the lake. The area and level vary depending on precipitation over the years. Seasonal streams such as Salda (Garakova) Stream, Doğanbaba Stream, Dog Stream and Granlig Stream, Guruçay, Gayadibi Stream pour into Salda lake. In the last 20 years, the lake level has decreased to 3-4 meters. The water level is still falling.
There is the town of Yasılova in the east of the lake, the village of Salda in the southwest, Doğanbaba in the northwest and Kayadibi in the northeast. Salda Lake and its surroundings were registered as First Class Protected Area on 14 June 1989. Salda Lake Nature Park was declared in 2012 with an area of 12 hectares around the lake.
