Fuente de Piedra Lagoon is a

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

located in the Málaga province of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. It is used by the greater flamingo for its annual reproduction cycle, constituting the largest colony on the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...

of this beautiful and delicate bird. The lagoon is fed by underwater springs that pass through mineral salt deposits, so the lagoon is saline - indeed salt was harvested until recently. The lagoon covers an area of . It is elliptical in shape. Its major axis is and the minor one is . However it is very shallow; in a good year it is less than deep at its deepest point. Evaporation is a major factor for the lagoon. The flamingos need a certain amount of water to breed and will desert the eggs if the lagoon dries out too soon.

References

Ramsar sites in Spain Landforms of Andalusia Geography of the Province of Málaga {{Andalusia-geo-stub