Bakhtegan Lake

Bakhtegan Lake is the second largest lake in Iran after Lake Urmia and the largest lake in central Iran. It is 120 kilometres long and lies in the counties of Neyriz, Estahban, Bakhtegan, Kharameh and Arsanjan in Fars Province. The lake is a wintering habitat for birds that migrate to Iran from Russia and the plains of Siberia. In rainy years, flamingos, cranes, gulls, ducks and geese land in this area and spend the winter here.

The main sources of water for the lake are the Kor River and the Sivand River. The Sivand River joins the Kor River near the city of Marvdasht, at a place called Pol-e Khan, and after crossing the Kerbal Plain it reaches the lake. In addition, numerous springs around the lake and seasonal floods also supply its water. Unfortunately, in recent years, because of natural and human-made changes, the Kor River has dried up, which in turn has caused the lake to dry up. According to experts, the three dams of Doroodzan, Sivand and Mollasadra, built upstream of Bakhtegan Lake on the Kor and Sivand rivers, which are the main sources of the lake's water, have caused this water basin to dry out.

With the drying up of Bakhtegan Lake, migratory birds no longer come to Bakhtegan, although some of them have chosen the lake behind the Sivand Dam as their home. The best time to visit the lake is from mid-winter to mid-spring.