The Site is part of a complex of wetlands in the semi-arid or arid Eastern Highlands. It comprises 13 freshwater, brackish and saltwater bodies including chotts (salt lakes) and sebkhas (salt flats). The Site was once a freshwater lake which fed over 15,000 hectares of cereal crops, but it was over-exploited from the 1970s to the 1990s. Lac Boulhilet has since been restored and once again supports a variety of activities including the cultivation of cereals. It is also once again an important site for wintering waterbirds and a resting point for migrating birds. Species of note include the endangered white-headed duck (Oxyura leucocephala) and the vulnerable marbled duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris). Also found within the Site are red fox (Vulpes vulpes), Cape hare (Lepus capensis) and common fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra). The principal current threats are poaching, disturbance of vegetation, and the potential over-abstraction of water.