page_title: Lake Ichkeul
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Lake Ichkeul / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Ichkeul National Park Français&#160;: Parc national de l'Ichkeul Español: Parque Nacional de Ichkeul 日本語: イシュケル国立公園 中文: 伊其克乌尔国家公园 Nederlands: Nationaal park Ichkeul Русский: Национальный парк Ишкёль العربية: محمية إشكل الوطنية Română: Parcul Național Ichkeul
context_page_description: Lake Ichkeul is a lake in northern Tunisia, located 20 kilometres to Bizerte, the northernmost city in Africa on the Mediterranean Sea. The lake and wetlands of Ichkeul National Park are an important stopping-over point for hundreds of thousands of migrating birds each year. Among the lake's visitors are ducks, geese, storks, and pink flamingoes. Dam construction on the lake's feeder rivers has produced major changes to the ecological balance of the lake and wetlands.
context_section_description: Because dams have sharply reduced the freshwater inflow to the lakes and marshes, the reedbeds, sedges, and other fresh-water plant species have been replaced with salt-loving plants. These changes have produced a sharp reduction in the migratory bird populations, which depend on the mix of plants that used to exist.
  According to the UNESCO Website, the Tunisian government has undertaken some steps to retain freshwater and reduce salinity, and the lake was removed from UNESCO's list of World heritage in danger in 2006.
  However some reports from the World Conservation Union suggest that the salinity has already become excessively high and the possibility for rehabilitation may be rapidly disappearing.
caption: Lake Ichkeul
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