Visit by RSPB expert for the water management of Oroklini Lake - July '12
The right water management of Oroklini Lake is one of the concrete conservation actions of the LIFE Oroklini project as it is very important for the lake’s two target species, the Spur-winged Lapwing and the Black-winged Stilt. This action will aim to ensure adequate water supply for these two key species so as to achieve Favourable Conservation Status for the lake. Furthermore, this action will ensure that the lake becomes more resistant to droughts and to other effects of climate change.
For this purpose, RSPB’s (BirdLife in the UK) expert on reserve management and Senior Technical Ecologist, Matt Self, visited the lake on 12 and 13 July (2012) together with the LIFE Project Coordinator and other BirdLife Cyprus staff. During the two-day site visit, the expert studied the lake’s functions and features (catchment area, inflow and outflow channels, ditches, dam, vegetation, etc.) and suggested ways to manage the water, and measures needed to control the flow and volume of water in the Lake so as to ensure that water is present all year round. The expert will visit the site again sometime in 2013, in order to provide support and advice during the implementation of this action. The water management works will have finished by June 2013 while a Water Management Protocol will be produced for the lake as part of the LIFE Oroklini project.