Choghakhor Wetland

Choghakhor is a wetland high in the Zagros of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, near the town of Boldaji in Borujen County, at about 2,100 metres above sea level. It lies in a basin ringed by mountains, and its open water, reedbeds and wet meadows, covering around 1,700 hectares, are one of the most important wetlands of the central Zagros.

The wetland is fed by springs and snowmelt from the surrounding mountains. In spring and autumn it is a resting place for migrating birds, and many species breed among the reeds in summer, including grebes, herons and ducks. Its fish and plant life are part of a highland ecosystem quite different from the lowland wetlands of the Caspian and the Gulf. It is listed as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

The surrounding villages have long grazed their animals on the wet meadows and cut reeds, and Bakhtiari herders pass through the area on their seasonal migrations. In recent decades drought and water use for farming have lowered the water level in some years, and the wetland's health has become a concern for conservationists and local people alike. Its fate is closely watched, because the springs that feed it are also the water supply of the farms around it.

For visitors, Choghakhor offers big skies, cool summer air and, in season, the sight of flocks of birds over the water against the bare mountains. It makes a popular day trip from Shahrekord and Borujen, and the spring, when the surrounding slopes turn green, is the best season to visit.