Salda Lake

Salda Lake is located in southwestern Türkiye, within the boundaries of Yeşilova District in Burdur Province, nestled between the Taurus Mountains. Due to its position along the Antalya-Denizli-Pamukkale tourism route, it holds a strategic tourism location. It lies at an elevation of approximately 1,193 meters above sea level and has a surface area of 44 km². The lake is situated in a closed basin and contains highly alkaline waters with no outward drainage. Its depth reaches up to 185 meters in some areas, making it one of Türkiye’s deepest lakes.

The lake is a tectonic formation surrounded by forested hills and plains. This characteristic is of great importance for understanding its hydrological and geological features. The Sultan Pınar spring on its southern shore has transformed the area into a popular recreational site.

Ecological and Geochemical Properties

Salda Lake is one of the rare ecosystems notable for its stromatolite formations. The white-colored rocks forming on the lakebed represent modern stromatolites rich in hydromagnesite. Stromatolites develop as a result of climatic factors, geological structure, and microbial interactions—particularly involving cyanobacteria. Scientific sources indicate that such deposits first appeared on Earth approximately 3.5 billion years ago. Therefore, Salda Lake functions as a living laboratory of geobiological evolution, hosting contemporary examples of primitive life forms.

This unique structure has attracted the attention of NASA and exhibits similarities to carbonate-rich rocks found on Mars. In this context, studying Salda Lake enables not only scientific inferences about the origins of life on Earth but also insights into the possibilities of extraterrestrial life.

Biodiversity

Flora

The Salda Lake Basin supports a total of 301 species of aquatic and terrestrial plants belonging to 81 different plant families. This rich plant diversity highlights the ecological significance of the region. The forested areas around the lake consist primarily of coniferous tree species such as Turkish pine (Pinus brutia), black pine (Pinus nigra), and Greek juniper (Juniperus excelsa). These forests encircle most of the lake, except for its eastern region.

The area around the lake is also notable for its endemic plant species. Plants such as Verbascum dudleyanum (Salda marsh mullein) and Verbascum flabellifolium, which are found exclusively in this region, occur naturally in the lake’s vicinity.

Fauna

Salda Lake serves as an important migratory route and wintering ground for birds, particularly during autumn and winter. A total of 38 waterbird species have been observed in the region. These include diving duck species such as the common coot (Fulica atra), ferruginous duck (Aythya ferina), mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus), and black-necked grebe (Podiceps grisegena). This diversity underscores the ecological importance of the lake’s wetland ecosystems.

Recreational and Touristic Value

Salda Lake possesses high potential for alternative tourism due to its natural beauty. Its turquoise waters, clean air, expansive sandy beaches, and forested camping areas make the region attractive for nature tourism, ecotourism, and sports activities. Various activities such as sailing, canoeing, windsurfing, lake tours, scuba diving, swimming, and photography can be enjoyed around the lake.