A vast endorheic depression, part of an extensive system of large chotts (salt lakes) in the high steppes between the Tell Atlas and Saharan Atlas mountains, with numerous permanent and seasonal lakes and pools and shrub-dominated wetland. The Site’s range of different soils and its steppe vegetation are representative of the area; however it is exceptional because of its surface area and catchment, and particularly because it is in an arid zone. It is extensively used for pasture and plays an important role in groundwater recharge and flood control. A number of rare and endemic plant species are found, including the herb Herniaria mauritanica and the glasswort Salicornia arabica. The marbled teal, listed as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List, is recorded in small groups, but insufficient research has been carried out on other species.