Gölmarmara Lake
Marmara Lake is an alluvial barrier lake in the south of Gölmarmara, a district of Manisa. It is located in the Aegean Region. The area where the lake is located is a pit and is surrounded by hills to the west and north. The eastern part is open to the Gediz Plain, the northwestern part is open to the Akhisar Plain and is separated from them by alluvial sets. This situation gives Marmara Lake its barrier lake character. The level of the lake located within the Gediz depression basin is lower than the level of the Gediz Plain. The surface area of the lake, which has a small depth, is 44.5 km². Channels were opened to the lake from the Gediz River, Demrek Stream and the Kum Stream in the north. These channels carry the water of the swollen streams, especially in late spring, to the lake. The lake is in a closed pit and its waters are salty. It was declared a "Wetland of National Importance" on June 12, 2017. Before the lake was converted into a reservoir in the 1940s, it was a closed basin with no outflow. Because the lake area is lower than its surroundings, especially the Gediz River. The lake was fed by rainwater, Akpınar springs and Şeyh Abbas Stream. With the protocol signed in November 2022, it was decided to reduce the size of the lake by one-third and open two-thirds of the area to agriculture.
