Expert warns of increasing mucilage on Lake Salda

BURDUR

The formation of mucilage on Lake Salda in the southwestern province of Burdur and the blackening of the white sand dunes on its shores have recently increased, an expert has warned, stressing to prevent intense human activities around the lake.

Erol Kesici, the scientific advisor of the Turkish Association for the Conservation of Nature (TTKD), stated that the water level of the lake has recently decreased due to increased human activities, which led the mucilage and blackening problems.

“As a result, the white sedimentary rocks, which have a very fragile structure, cannot form on the lake shores, and the whiteness is replaced by blackening in the areas where the water is withdrawn,” he explained.

In addition, Kesici said the mucilage, which is formed due to the increased number of algae, should be cleaned from the shore and water with scientific methods.

Intense pollution caused by vehicle and human traffic around the lake and excessive withdrawal of groundwater for agriculture are the underlying reasons for the blackening and the formation of mucilage, according to the expert.

Kesici underlined that endemic species are also under threat as the lake cannot discharge its water, which leads to being fragile in terms of water quality.

Regarding the measures that should be taken around the lake, Kesici stated that Lake Salda should be declared a “natural heritage” site.

“The lake should remain as a natural laboratory of the science world to learn about the process of life and as a natural museum where people can visit to see this heritage formation,” he added.

The lake is the only known on Earth that contains carbonates and depositional features (deltas) similar to those found at Jezero Crater.

In 2020, similarities between the lake and the Jezero Crater on Mars captured the interest of NASA in its research on possible life on the red planet.