Selenga Delta. 13/09/94; Buryat Republic; 12,100 ha; 52°17'N 106°22'E. World Heritage site; Nature Reserve; Anatidae Network Site. The site includes the shallow water area of Lake Baikal, streams and oxbow lakes. Vegetation consists of reedbeds, regularly flooded sedge-grass meadows, and willow shrub. The site is an example of a unique type of wetland and supports numerous threatened and endemic species of flora and fauna. Large concentrations of various species of migrating, breeding and molting waterbirds use the site. The total breeding population of Anatidae (ducks, geese, swans) varies between 20,000 and 138,000 individuals. Up to five million birds pass through the delta in autumn, with 7,300 to 18,300 birds stopping at the site. Human activities include hay harvesting, livestock grazing, commercial and sport fishing, muskrat trapping, waterbird hunting, and recreation. River regulation resulted in changes in the hydrologic regime, and rising lake levels (Baikal) are a major threat to delta ecosystems. Further activities increasing the area's water levels are planned. Ramsar site no. 682. Most recent RIS information: 1997.

Last publication date: 01-01-1997