ABOUT THE LAKE
The Mandra lake is situated 10km from
Bourgas. It was a brackish lake until 1963, nowadays it is a freshwater reservoir with an open water surface area of 3.884 ha. It is 8 km long and 1.3 km wide. Mandra lake is situated in a well shaped river valley. Four rivulets flow in the lake: Izvorska, Sredetzka, Rusokastrenska, Fakyiska. The lake’s banks border with the most northern slopes of
Strandja Mountain.
Mandra lake or rather today's reservoir keeps large quantity of fresh water - a natural resource under growing demand. Other valuable natural resources are the commercial fish stocks and waterfowl.
The lake and its vicinities are very attractive site for cognitive tourism in all seasons, not the least so for the existing archaeological excavations and museum in the town of
Debelt where the curious mind can find abundant information on the Roman period of these lands.
The most valuable parts of the lake have been placed under legal protection like the mouth of rivulet Izvorska (with 151 ha of surface area protected), or have been proposed for legal protection like the countryside Uzun-Geren (with an area of 210 ha).
FLORA AND FAUNA
There you can see typical forest vegetation: Wild Peony, Snowdrops, and Crocus.
Some 250 bird species have been found in the region of Mandra lake, including a few globally endangered species such as the Pygmy Cormorant – 1.200 ind., the Dalmatian Pelican – up to 338 ind., the Red-breasted Goose – up to 17.000 ind., the White-headed Duck – over 311 ind. and the Corncrake numbering up to 10 calling males. Winter concentrations of Pochard, Tufted Duck, Whooper Swan and Bewick's Swan are the most numerous in the country. Mandra lake holds the second place in Bulgaria by the number of wintering White-fronted and Red-breasted Geese. This was the reason to declare the lake as an IBA of European importance.
Of the mammals the best preserved are the populations of European Otter and the Rock Marten.
The Mandra Lake is fish-rich, including some rare and endemic species such as Syrman Goby, Black Sea Sprat, Sea Pike Perch, which might have become extinct already and many others.
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