State: Pleven, Veliko TarnovoArea: 5421,88 ха
Ownership: state - 15%; municipality - 25%; private - 60%;
Description:
A complex of flooded areas, wet and salthy meadows, marshlands, fishponds, loes and stony steppes and patches of forests, located on the left bank of the Osam river in the Mid-Danubian Plain, to the north of main road E83. The site includes the lands between the villages of Totleben, Obnova, Bulgarene, Malchika, Delyanovtsi, Izgrev and Trunchovitsa. To the north it is limited by the road Slavyanovo – Batsova Mahala. Its territory includes the forest hills on the right bank of the river, as well as some farmlands, pastures and other grasslands and shrub associations. Among the open habitats patches of mixed oak forests of Quercus cerris and Q. robur are situated. The fishponds are overgrown with hydrophyte and hygrophyle vegetation represented by Phragmites australis, Typha angustifolia, and Schoenoplectus sp. Several rare plant species with national or European importance, as Marsilea quadrifolia and Caragana frutex occur there.
Birds:
Obnova Fish-ponds supports 98 bird species, 35 of which are listed in the Red Data Book for Bulgaria (1985). Of the birds occurring there 58 species are of European conservation concern (SPEC) (BirdLife International, 2004), 5 of them being listed in category SPEC 1 as globally threatened, 15 in SPEC 2 and 38 in SPEC 3 as species threatened in Europe. The area provides suitable habitats for 50 species, included in Annex 2 of the Biodiversity Act, which need special conservation measures, of which 47 are listed also in Annex I of the Birds Directive. The complex’s wet terrain is of exceptional importance for waterfowl and wetland species, concentrating there on migration and in winter. The site is one of the most important ones in the country for the Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus, Kingfisher Alcedo atthis, White Stork Ciconia ciconia and European Roller Coracias garrulus, which breed there in considerable numbers, and for the Great Egret Egretta alba in winter. Obnova fishponds hold representative breeding populations of the Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus and the Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus. Single pairs of Black Stork Ciconia nigra, the Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina, the Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus, Short-thoed Eagle Circaetus gallicus also breed in the region. It is an important stopover site on migration for numerous flocks of waders Charadriiformes, ducks, as well as ibises Plegadis falcinellus and spoonbills Platalea leucorodia/, which congregates there. The Crane Grus grus is also observed there during migration. Rare and treatened species of mammals also occur there as Spermophilus citellus, Mustela eversmanii and Vormela peregusna.
Threats:
The extensive way of fish production, which allow appearance of water floating and water fringe vegetation is crucial for the value of the area. Intensification of fish production will cause deterioration of the key habitats for birds. The biggest impacts on the wetland habitats are the drainage of the riverine marshes and clearance of the water floating vegetation from the fishponds. The drainage of theriverine marshes is done by a operational drainage system. The correction of the Osam riverbed, followed by deepening of the river`s bottom cause further dainage of the marshes. Small tributaries of Osam river unregularly flood the area. The use of pesticides and fertilizers in the surrounding arable land causes change of the chemistry and the water quality. The intensive hunting pressure during the winter cause significant disturbance to waterbirds.
Legal protection:
The area does not have legal protection by the national conservation legislation. There is one protected area in the border with the site. Part of the area is under procedure of designation of “Gerena” Protected area. In 2005 the area was designated as Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.
