Complexe du bas Tahaddart. 15/01/05; Tanger; 11,000 ha; 35°34'N 006°00'W. Site of Biological and Ecological Interest. A complex of wetland types (including brackish and freshwater marshes and pools, subtidal aquatic beds, sand dunes, etc.) which are fed by the tides and precipitation. Especially during particularly wet years, they are an important stop for migratory species such as the Greater flamingo and Common crane, as the wetlands constitute the last feeding stop before the Gibraltar Strait, on the way to and from Europe. The complex also hosts the vulnerable Great Bustard (Otis tarda), whose population is localized and threatened and said to be the only one present in Africa. The area's hydrology and landscape has been negatively affected by developments including roads and railway lines, abandoned salt works, but especially the radio station "The Voice of America" and its access roads, which have replaced a large salt steppe and a part of the lake of Wlad Khallouf. The soils in the area are very fertile thanks to the sediments deposited by floods, but they are today becoming over-exploited, as sediments in floodwaters have decreased due to trapping by upstream dams. Thus agriculture is common, as well as livestock raising, tourism, tuna fishing and sand extraction for construction purposes. An archaeological site has recently been discovered, which is expected to increase the site's cultural value. Ramsar site no. 1476. Most recent RIS information: 2005.