Lake Gala National Park
National park in Edirne, Turkey / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lake Gala National Park (Turkish: Gala Gölü Milli Parkı), established on March 5, 2005, is a national park located within Edirne Province in Marmara Region of Turkey.[1]
Lake Gala National Park | |
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Gala Gölü Milli Parkı | |
Location | Edirne Province, Turkey |
Nearest city | İpsala, Enez |
Coordinates | 40°46′07″N 26°11′08″E |
Area | 6,090 ha (15,000 acres) |
Established | March 5, 2005; 19 years ago (2005-03-05) |
Governing body | Directorate-General of Nature Protection and National Parks Ministry of Environment and Forest |
The national park covers an area consisting of Lake Pamuklu and Lake Küçük Gala within the boundaries of İpsala and Enez districts of Edirne Province. It is 8 km (5.0 mi) far from Enez, and 23 km (14 mi) from İpsala.[2]
In 1991, 2,369 ha (5,850 acres) of land was declared a nature reserve. In 2002, biologists from Trakya University in Edirne demanded transformation of the protected area into national park status due to pollution of lakes by pesticide waste and fertilizer, used in agriculture, as well as uncontrolled fishing activities and bird poaching that reach a level of massacre.[3] In 2005, the area was enlarged to 6,090 ha (15,000 acres), and it was established as a national park. Lake Gala National Park is an ecosystem of 3,090 ha (7,600 acres) wetland, lake and 3,000 ha (7,400 acres) forest. It is a habitat for various plant and animal species.[1][2]
The protected area is administered by the Directorate-General of Nature Protection and National Parks (Turkish: Doğa Koruma ve Milli Parklar Genel Müdürlüğü) of the Ministry of Environment and Forest.[1]
The national park is situated within the Maritsa Delta Wetland , which is a Ramsar site of A-class meeting three criteria.[2]