Kızören Sinkhole
Kızören Lake or Kızören Sinkhole is a karst-formed sinkhole lake located within the borders of Karatay district, 70 km northeast of Konya. The sinkhole has a diameter of 228 meters and a depth of 171 meters, 145 meters of which are filled with water. The land where the lake is located is 1,020 meters high. It is located on limestone blocks in the Obruk Plateau, where many sinkholes are located. The lake surface, which is 20 meters below, is becoming lower due to excessive groundwater use. Kızören Lake, with the Seljuk-built Obruk Inn on its western edge, is the largest sinkhole in the country. In 2005, the lake and the 127 hectare area around it were declared a Ramsar site. Kızören Lake, fed by groundwater, shows a level difference of 5 meters throughout the year. It has not been determined that any living creature lives in the lake. Vegetation around the lake; Although it is a steppe, it has been turned into fields. The surface of the water in the sinkholes shows the level of groundwater. Excessive pumping of water for irrigation has reduced the lake level. Water withdrawal from the lake for agricultural irrigation and domestic use has been stopped. It was determined that the level dropped by 10 m between 1996 and 2006.
