Lake Eğirdir, Turkey’s fourth largest lake, is sounding the alarm due to a recession experienced over the last 5-6 years. As the water level dropped, the living space for the fish in the lake shrank, and yields decreased. Fishermen can no longer bring their boats to the docks, while some boats have been completely stranded on land. Cengiz Erdoğan, President of the Eğirdir Fisheries Cooperative, stated that serious problems are also being experienced in agricultural irrigation, and said that visitors who come to see the lake now encounter large land masses instead of blue waters.
“Our guests who come to see the lake now see land instead of water”
Erdoğan said, “We fishermen make our living from this lake. Our lake has been continuously receding for about 5-6 years, and its current state is evident. The water decreasing so much negatively affects our work. We face great difficulties in navigating the lake, pollution, and using fishing equipment. We have reached a point where we cannot bring our boats to the dock. Our guests who come to see the lake now see land instead of water. This both creates visual pollution and saddens us greatly.”
“Winters passing without precipitation and no snowfall are also accelerating the process”
Erdoğan stated that the fish are also negatively affected by the recession, “Because their living area has decreased, the yield has dropped significantly. The reasons for the lake reaching this state include global warming, climate change, and misuse. Water is continuously being drawn from the lake. Winters passing without precipitation and no snowfall are also accelerating the process. For about 20 days, the lake in the Hoyran region has been split in two. Because the water level has dropped to zero, fishermen passing through there say they can leave their boats and cross on foot.”
“If we have a good winter, maybe the lake can slowly recover”
Saying “Our hope now rests with God Almighty,” Erdoğan stated, “If we have a good winter, maybe the lake can slowly recover. We want the lake to return to its former state as soon as possible because we fishermen are the most affected by this process. Agriculture has also been negatively affected. Farmers in Boğazova Village are receiving limited water, and they have had to transport water to their villages by tanker.”
“Unconscious water use is also one of the biggest problems”
Emphasizing that unconscious water use continues, Erdoğan said, “Water continues to be drawn from the lake. Because the existing pumps were insufficient, 250-meter ramps have now been built, going deep into the lake, and water continues to be taken. While we are here screaming ‘The lake is disappearing,’ some are still watering their lawns and asphalt. We have started to think that this situation is now malicious. Some of our boats were also neglected because the water receded too quickly and they were left stranded on land. We expect urgent solutions from the authorities.”
