Field Definition:
It is located in Çivril Plain in the south of Akdağ on the sources that feed the Büyük Menderes River. Işıklı Lake, formerly a natural lake, was transformed into a dam lake in 1968. It is now used for the irrigation of Çivril Plain. The depth is about 7 meters.
Lighted, a fresh water lake. The main water source of Işıklı Lake, which is fed with the Işıklı Stream and ground waters, is Kufi, a source of Great Menderes and one of its arms in the north. In the 1960s, this source is directed to Isıklı and covers approximately 60% of the lake water. The Light Dam is being used as a reservoir of water for large-scale irrigation made in the oval for the last 40 years. The western, southern and eastern shores of the lake have been turned into saddles.
Approximately 3 ha west of Işıklı Lake, a 300 hectare lake on the Great Menderes River, and around 700 hectares Gökgöl Swamp, consisting of reeds and bogs around it, are also included in the borders of the special protected area.
Işıklı Lake is thought to have formed a single wetland with Gökgöl in the past. Large areas in the south of Gökgöl have been dried. However, in 1996, the Ministry of Forestry attempted to declare 'Wildlife Protection Area' here.
Fauna:
Lake Isikli hosts a large number of water birds in the winter months. The field-grown heron, the mustarded sumru and the smiley sumus populations gained the status of a special protected area. The lake is very important for wintering water birds; small cormorant, burdock, Hungarian cuspid, elmabas headbone, rusty headblown and habitual species. There are regular waterfowl counts in the middle of winter. Over 190,000 hurricanes were observed on the lake at one time. Other species breeding on the ground include walrus, black-necked gull, mature heron, ryegrass, and gull seagull. Ak-tailed eagle living in Isikli Lake breeds in Akdağ near the lake.
Işıklı Lake is also important for inland water fish. Endangered on a global scale from the fish endemic to Turkey Aphanius anatoliae Chondrostoma meanders in France urea Illuminated Lake.
Flora:
Due to the high water level in Işıklı Lake, the marshy vegetation is only found in the north east where Kufi Stream deposits alluvium. There are a few reeds in the middle of the lake. On the eastern and western coasts of Işıklı there are wide hills and agricultural fields and on the south a wide plain with cereals. The marshy vegetation is widespread in and around Gökgöl.
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The plains around the lake are heavily farmed and poplar. Around the lake is the oteller. Fishing is an activity of great importance to the environment for the villagers. Nearly 1000 fishermen work in the 10 villages on the lake and close to 70 tons of fish are caught annually. Crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus), the most common and most profitable in Turkey that was once the lake in the 1980s, is the first time become extinct due to fungal disease, which emerged in the lake in Turkey.
The area has no protection status.
Lake Işıklı was once surrounded by thousands of hectares of freshwater marsh; the whole system area was close to 10,000 km2. It started in the 1930s to water the surrounding fields and in the 1960s it was dried up to 2,000 km2. The process of turning the lake into a dam lake began in 1949, and in 1968, the present regulator and flood control system was completed. It is named as Işıklı Dam by Lake State Hydraulic Works. The large Menderes are directed to the lake from the north. This arm, called Kufi, provides 60% of the water entering the lake today. In the winter and spring months, the lake water is used for irrigating a total of 72,300 km2 agricultural land. The water level remains very high until June when the irrigation water is released. There are only a few reeds in the middle of the lake. The Baklan Regulator in the south west corner of the lake is supplied with water for the cotton fields downstairs. The level of water so high during the spring months prevents the formation of suitable environments for birds such as reeds and swamps, which also causes submerged flats to be flooded, which provides significant nutritional opportunities. The waters are retreating in August and September, a few months later, when the lake is in its natural state, and only about 70% of the area is covered with aquatic vegetation. The lake area is 1,550 km2 while the water level is 816.5 meters, and 6.580 km2 at the highest operating altitude of 821 meters.
