Lake Düden | |
Coords: | 39.0833°N 41°W |
Basin Countries: | Turkey |
Location: | Kulu, Konya Province, Turkey |
Islands: | 9 |
Pushpin Map: | Turkey |
Pushpin Label Position: | right |
Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the lake in Turkey. |
Lake Düden, also known as Lake Kulu, (Turkish: Düden Gölü or Kulu Gölü), is a brackish water lake in Konya Province, Turkey.
Lake Düden is located northwest of Lake Tuz and east of Kulu town in Konya Province at an elevation of . It is a shallow brackish water lake covering area. The lake is fed mainly by Kulu Creek, aka Değirmenözü Creek, in the west. It has no outlet. Spring waters around lake contribute also to the lake's feeding. There are nine islets inside the lake. In the south of the lake, there is a fresh water lake named "Little Lake" (Turkish: Küçük Göl) surrounded by dense reeds. While the ducks generally brooding at the Little Lake in the south, the gulls and common terns prefer the islets in colonies. Lake Düden, Lake Little and their surrounding area of wetlands and steppes are declared protected area in 1992.
It is a popular site for birdwatchers from Ankara.
The sinking of water level in the lake is the most important threat. The excessive consumption of groundwater and surface water in the Konya Closed Basin started to affect the lake. Despite the intensive snowfall in 2006, the lake has almost completely dried out. As a result of the sinking of water level, the islets were connected with each other, and the breeding of birds stopped. The untreated waste water of the Kulu district was dumped in the past into Kulu Creek, which feeds the lake. The plan of Kulu municipality to build roads to and around the lake, and to afforest the lake's surrounding would be a threat for the breeding birds. Another important issue is the poaching.
In 2010, the district administration undertook measures to save the lake by building a waste water treatment facility and preventing unlawful water usage from the creek.