Anzali Lagoon

The Anzali lagoon (also called Anzali reservoir) is a coastal port or lagoon in the Caspian Sea near Anzali city, in the Iranian province of Gilan. The lagoon divides the city of Anzali into two parts, and the home of the Selke Wildlife Refuge and the Siahkeshim reservoir. Although the lagoon suffers from pollution, it is known as a good place for bird watching. The water of the lagoon extends from the fresh waters near the tributary streams to the brackish waters near the mouth of the port and the sea. Studies indicate that in the nineteenth and early twentieth century the lagoon had a much higher level of salinity.

The size of the lagoon has decreased since 1930 to less than a quarter of its previous extension, however, in the last ten years, the salinity of the water has increased due to the increase in the level of the Caspian Sea that has caused a greater exchange of waters, and by the greater transport of salt in incoming "fresh" water due to the increase in irrigation upstream.