Lake near Paris, France : nature and waterbirds in a protected site
A protected lake :
the "Fosse aux carpes" (The Carps Pit)
in Draveil (France, near Paris).

A core of biological diversity
at local and regional scale

Binoculars
Description
(English)		 Lightning
Protection
(French)		 Star
Links
(French)

Frog Situated 21 km South-East of Paris, on the right bank of the Seine river, the "Fosse aux carpes" (26 hectares) used to be a sand quarry. It's part of a range of ponds that stretches out for miles. Sports and leisure activities have been developed on most of those ponds. But the "Fosse aux carpes" is one of the only stretches of water near Draveil not to have been transformed into an entertainment area such as water sports and leisure base, which gives it its ecological interest. The quietness of this site allowed the development of a diversified wildlife, particularly birds (Grey Herons, Cormorants, etc.), of which an inventory is made each year.
Le French Ministry of environment, with the backing of the French Natural History Museum, described the "Fosse aux carpes" as a "Natural area with ecological, faunistic and floristic interest" : "big natural area, rich and little modified, that offers important biological potential".

The "Fosse aux carpes", property of the Ile de France region since December 4, 1998, is protected by the French State since June 21, 1999. It will become a park dedicated to bird-watching, with 130 different bird species.

URL : http://www.multimania.com/drav
Last modified : December 11, 1999
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