Lake Ichkeul (Arabic: بحيرة اشكل, Romanized: Buḥayra ʾIshkul) is a lake in northern Tunisia. It is located 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Bizerte, which is the northernmost city in Africa on the Mediterranean Sea. The lake and wetlands of Ichkeul National Park are an important resting place for hundreds of thousands of migrating birds each year. Birds that visit the lake include ducks, geese, storks, and pink flamingos. Dam construction on the rivers that feed the lake has caused major changes to the balance of the environment in the lake and wetlands.

History

During the rule of the Hafsid dynasty in the 13th century, Lake Ichkuel was a protected area. In the early 20th century, during French rule, it became part of the public domain. Since 1980, the lake has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Dams have greatly reduced the flow of freshwater into the lake and nearby wetlands. This has caused plants that need fresh water, such as reedbeds and sedges, to be replaced by plants that grow in salty water. These changes have led to a significant decrease in the number of migratory birds, which relied on the variety of plants that once lived there.

According to the UNESCO website, the Tunisian government has taken actions to increase freshwater levels and lower salt content in the lake. Because of these efforts, the lake was removed from UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in danger in 2006.

However, reports from the World Conservation Union indicate that salt levels in the lake have become very high. These reports suggest that the chance to restore the lake’s health may be disappearing quickly.

Ichkeul National Park

Ichkeul National Park is a special place recognized by UNESCO, located in northern Tunisia. It is 25 kilometers southwest of Bizerte and 15 kilometers north of Mateur. The park was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1980. From 1996 to 2006, it was also on UNESCO's list of World Heritage in Danger. The park is managed by the Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture.

A flowering plant called Teucrium_schoenenbergeri [fr] Nabli, which is found only in Tunisia, was collected in the park in 1965.