Life-Giving Flow to Lake Kuyucuk: Saving a Wetland by Freeing Its Streams

A nature-conservation success story made possible with support from the Open Rivers Programme

What is the Open Rivers Programme?https://openrivers.eu/

The European Open Rivers Programme is a Dutch grant-giving organisation that offers grants to support projects that lead to the removal of small dams and the restoration of river flow and biodiversity. Its aim is to return rivers and streams to their natural flow, safeguarding biodiversity, building climate-resilient habitats, and providing communities with sustainable water resources. 

Our Project Goals

Lake Kuyucuk—Turkey’s 13th Ramsar Site—is an internationally important wetland visited by over 40,000 migratory birds each year and home to 232 bird species. However, earthen and stone-filled barriers built across the five streams that feed the lake were causing it to dry out. Most of these dams had been constructed without permission by local residents seeking to water their livestock.

As KuzeyDoğa Association, through this project we aimed to:

  • Remove the two largest dams within the boundaries of Büyükçatma Village
  • Restore a total of 12 km of streambed to its natural course
  • Prevent the lake from drying out permanently
  • Install a sustainable, solar-powered livestock watering system for nearby villages

Achievements to Date

✅ Between 21–29 October 2024, both major dams were completely dismantled.
✅ A 12 km stretch of stream was reconnected, allowing the lake to start refilling.
✅ The project received extensive coverage on TRT, Anadolu Ajansı, and Açık Radyo.
✅ It was introduced to 79 NGOs across Turkey.