Lake Burullus Protectorate - Rosetta

Lake Burullus Protectorate

Located towards the east of the Rosetta branch of the river Nile in Egypt, Lake Burullus is a protected area stretching over 460 square kilometers. The lake is touted to be the second largest natural lake in the country. Towards the north on the seaward border there are many shallow brackish lagoons and salt marshes, some of which include the Lake Marout (Buḥayrat Maryūṭ), Lake Edku (Buḥayrat Idkū), Lake Burullus (Buḥayrat Al-Burullus), and Lake Manzala (Buḥayrat Al-Manzilah).

The lake is shallow and has a number of environmental treasures. The salt swamps and the sand plains are most important of its treasures which also have sand dunes that are located on the coasts of the lake. The lake is rather elongated and there are around 50 islands scattered over it and has one connection with the sea. The salt concentration is high towards the north which keeps on decreasing as we move towards the south. Southern part of the lake is where the salt is produced commercially and where fish farming are done. The southern shore is bordered by reed swamps and a large variety of aquatic vegetation is seen underwater. The lake is a home to over 135 species of plants both of the land and aquatic variety. The lake is important wetland for waterfowl which is seen here during the winter season and also one can see here Wigeon, Anas penelope, and Ferruginous Duck, Aythya nyroca. The protectorate is a place to have a great experience of bird watching as many migrating wild birds can be seen here during the winters.

This brackish water lake in the Nile Delta of Egypt lies in the Kafr el Sheikh governorate and is bordered on the north by the Mediterranean Sea and agricultural land borders the same towards the south.

Hydrology

Lake Burullus is considered to be a lake and wetland site where many migratory birds come under the Ramsar Convention. The water in the lake is a result of the agricultural drainage accounting for 97%, while the remaining comes from rain water and groundwater. The 16% of water in the lake gets evaporated while the remaining 84% flows into the sea.

Environmental diversity at the lake

At this protectorate a number of environments prevail and most significant is the sand plains and the salt swamps. Also there are high sand dunes present here. The atmosphere makes it an ideal place for more than 135 species of migratory birds that migrate here to escape the harsh winters.

Prime reason or objective

Lake Burullus was declared as a protectorate to conserve the biological diversity seen here and also for providing the extinct species a natural habitat whose extinction was a result of the human activities. Also the lake helped in monitoring environmental changes and protecting damp grounds. The reserve also helps in encouraging natural or eco tourism in Egypt and helps in conducting applied and scientific research. The lake helps in protecting natural resources especially those that are of economic significance.

Wildlife

At Lake Burullus about 33 species of fishes, 23 species of reptiles, 112 species of birds, and 18 species of mammals live. Initially when the lake was made there were over 52 species of fishes whose number declined due to the decrease in salt concentration due to inflow of agricultural water in the lake.