Dalmaj Marsh

Dalmaj Marsh is an inland wetland of about 921.6 km² west of the Tigris River and about 35 km southwest of Kut in Iraq, at 14 to 23 m elevation^[1].

Some 140 bird species have been observed. It is a wintering site for waterfowl and the main breeding area for Marbled Duck, Ferruginous Duck and Red-crested Pochard, and a major breeding site for the endemic Basra Reed Warbler^[1]. Nineteen mammal species have been found or reported, including honey badger, caracal, striped hyena, otter, grey wolf and wild boar, and its Bunni fish population may be the last healthy stock in southern Iraq^[1].

The site mixes a deeper open-water lake over 2 m deep with shallow reedbed marshes under 1 m deep^[1].

The geology is Mesopotamian alluvium, mainly silts, and arid desert with sand dunes lies around the marsh^[1].

The marsh is fed by Tigris floodwater and irrigation overflow via the Main Outfall Drain, and water levels are unstable because the Ministry of Water Resources controls flow through the drain^[1].

Wheat farming covers most of the dry land around the marsh^[1].

The marsh was listed as a wetland of international importance in 1980^[1].

The open-water lake and reedbed marshes, rich in waterbirds, are the main feature^[1].

The marsh lies about 35 km southwest of Kut^[1].

Hunting and poaching of ducks, waterfowl and fish are a very high threat, and road construction and commercial development are high threats; no conservation measures are known to have been taken^[1]. Embankments contain the marsh's water, and the Ministry of Agriculture promotes fish farming here^[1].