Annotated List of Wetlands of International Importance

Åkersvika is one of the largest and best-developed freshwater deltas in Norway, where the unregulated Svartelva and Flakstadelva rivers join in the adjacent shallow basin, which feeds into Lake Mjøsa. Following the Ramsar Advisory Mission (no.64) in 2010, new areas were added to compensate for areas excluded due to a road enlargement. The Site is a freshwater embayment of an artificially regulated lake and lower river reaches composed of open water, exposed mudflats, wet grassland, and Alnus/Salix scrub, with shoreline vegetation dominated by moss. The vegetation is composed of various bog, meadow, scrub and woodland communities supporting a number of rare and nationally red-listed habitats and plant species. The reserve is one of the most important staging sites for wetland birds following inland migration routes in Norway; and a total of 226 bird species have been recorded. Large numbers of ducks and waders rest in Åkersvika, both in spring and in autumn, which also supports 1 % of the biogeographic population of the pink footed goose Anser brachyrhynchus. 16 species of fish have been registered in Åkersvika and the Site is considered as the main spawning ground in the Mjøsa Lake. The area functions as a barrier or trap for sediments and has an important function for sedimentation and nutrient fixing as well as flood control. Human activities include sport fishing, nature observation and environmental education. The main threats to the ecological character of the Site relate to housing and urban areas, roads and railways, and invasive species. Large areas of sedge meadow are being taken over by meadow communities and Salix scrub, following the cessation of burning and grazing in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Regulation of Lake Mjøsa has also accelerated this process. Management measures are now being implemented to stop the overgrowth.