Uluabat Gölü

Lake Uluabat is a large, shallow freshwater lake stretching just south of the Bursa-İzmir highway about 34 kilometres west of Bursa, on the boundary of the Nilüfer, Karacabey and Mustafakemalpaşa districts. Its old name is Apolyont, which comes from the ancient city of Apollonia on its shore. It is about 23-24 kilometres long from east to west and 12 kilometres wide; its surface area varies between 135 and 160 square kilometres depending on the water level. The lake is very shallow; the average depth is about 2.5 metres, most of it is 1-2 metres deep, and the deepest point, near Halilbey Island, reaches only 10 metres. It lies just 7-9 metres above sea level. It formed as an alluvial dam lake in a plain opened by tectonic movements; its islands of Jurassic limestone, large and small, act as breakwaters in stormy weather, and the largest is Halilbey Island at 190 hectares. The lake is fed from the south-west by the Mustafakemalpaşa stream, which has formed a silty delta at its mouth; the surplus water flows out through the Uluabat stream in the west into the Susurluk river and on to the Sea of Marmara. Because the bottom is muddy, the water turns turbid on windy days; in such weather choose a walk along the shore rather than a boat tour. In 1998 the lake was declared a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention; it is one of Turkey's 14 Ramsar sites and is registered as number 944. The Ramsar site covers 19,900 hectares, and a wider buffer zone is defined around it. In the same years it was also admitted to the international Living Lakes network. BirdLife International declared the lake an Important Bird Area in 1989. Uluabat is the most important breeding ground in Turkey for the globally threatened pygmy cormorant; a count in 1998 recorded 823 pairs. It is also one of the important feeding and wintering areas of the Dalmatian pelican. Squacco heron, spoonbill, night heron, little egret, glossy ibis, whiskered tern and ferruginous duck breed on the lake. In winter more than 400,000 waterbirds descend on the lake; in this season flocks of pochard, tufted duck and coot cover the water. Otter, jackal, fox and badger have also been recorded around the lake. The lake is one of Turkey's richest wetlands in aquatic plants and has the country's most extensive white water lily beds. The water lilies cover wide areas especially along the north-eastern shores and at the mouth where the Mustafakemalpaşa stream enters the lake; the white flowers opening on the water in summer are the lake's best-known image. The western and southern shores are lined with vast reed beds mixed with clusters of trees, while in the east and north the reeds are more localised. Twenty-one fish species have been counted in the lake; carp, pike, catfish, grey mullet, tench and rudd are the main ones, and eel is occasionally found. The villages of Gölyazı and Eskikaraağaç, built on two peninsulas of the northern shore, live mainly on fishing; the once widespread silkworm rearing has declined. Around shore villages such as Akçalar, Fadıllı and Akçapınar there is farming, animal husbandry and beekeeping. The surroundings of the lake are also important archaeologically; the remains of Apollonia on the shore and the Aktopraklık mound lie within this area. The easiest way to see the lake is from the shore at Gölyazı; boat tours leaving from here take you out among the islands, close to the water lily beds and near the pelicans. Bring binoculars for birdwatching; the busiest hours are early morning and close to sunset. The winter months suit the flocks of waterbirds, while spring and early summer suit the breeding birds and the water lilies. The lake is a protected area; do not enter the reed beds, do not approach bird colonies by boat, and leave no litter on the shore. For years the lake has been under pressure from domestic and industrial waste, agricultural chemicals and water abstraction for irrigation; in 2018 a plant treating the wastewater of the shore villages was opened. To get there, use the Gölyazı or Eskikaraağaç turn-offs from the Bursa-İzmir highway; for public transport check current line information. Accommodation on the lakeshore is limited, and most visitors come from Bursa for the day. Uluabat is a wetland in the south of Marmara shared by birds, fishers and water lilies, offering both nature and history in a single day.