- Vatnsfjörður
Vatnsfjordur is a
nature reserve located north-west ofBreiðafjörður on theHjarðarnes coast of north-westernIceland .Vatnsfjörður was legally declared a nature reserve in
1975 and is part of the land owned by the of the head estate Brjánslækur. In accordance with nature reserve regulations, conventional utilization of the land is permitted and there is considerablesheep farming in the area which covers approximately 20hectare s of mostly rough vegetation .Geography
At the western boundary of the nature reserve is the river
Þverá ; from there the boundary runs north to the ancient glacierGláma , roughly following the watershed past Hornatær mountain and the Dynjandisheið moor. From Gláma it falls south to Þingmannaheiði moor and southwest to the Hörgsnes tip, which marks the mouth of the fjord in the east.Lake s andpond s are numerous on the reserve with LakeVatnsdalsvatn being the largest, with an area of two square kilometers.Geology
The bedrock in this territory is a part of the Tertiary Basalt Formation and probably dates back 10-13 million years. The landscape has been shaped and molded by ice age glaciers; it contains
U-shaped valley s and glacial striae. The rocky pinnacles of Hornatær tower over the fjord from the west and stand at more than 700 meters above sea level. Glacial dikes are common in the area andgeothermal heat extracted from the area has been used to heat swimming pools.Climate and tourism
In Vatnsfjörður, the climate is mild and summers are pleasantly warm an important spot for excursions around Vestfirðir, the West Fjords. It is a 90-minute drive from Vatnsfjörður to the Látrabjarg birdcliffs, the valley of Selárdalur and the town of Ísafjörður, while Vatnsfjörður to the Dynjandi waterfall takes 30 minutes by car. A boat trip to the island of
Flatey on the ferry Baldur takes an hour.Habitat
Fauna
Vatnsfjörður has quite a diverse number of species, though the number of individuals of each species is particularly low although
wasp s are known to be abundant in the area.Approximately 20 species of birds inhabit the nature reserve. TheEider duck is a common sight on thefjord and theHarlequin duck is common in April and May, but by mid-summer theRed-throated loon is the most widespread.Sea eagle s andgerfalcon s are frequently spotted but they rarely nest on the nature reserve.Wood mice ,Arctic fox es and mink roam the area seals inhabit the reefs, by the Hörgsnes peninsula.Salmon are found in the riverVatnsdalsá , andtrout in the lakeVatnsdalsvatn .Flora
Birch is the most dominant plant in the region, though in places quite tall Rowan trees grow and willow in the area is exemplary. Wood Crane’s-bill is plentiful. Juniper and ferns are more common here than in most other areas of Barðaströnd. Plants typical of heath communities abound, especially Bilberry. On the rocky moors the various lichens and mosses complement each other in colorful picturesque scenery. Like elsewhere in Breiðafjörður, the ebb tide is considerable and a variety of algae and small aquatic creatures can be found on the rocky beach.
ervices
In Flókalundur a hotel is operated during the summer, along with a
petrol station and a camping site with sanitary facilities. There are also summerhouses and a swimming pool, with hot water deriving from the geothermal borehole to a pool by the seashore. Fish farming is practiced adjacent to the river Þverá and, at times, tourists can occasionally buy fishing permits for the ponds. Fishing licenses for Vatnsdalsá and Vatnsdalsvatn are sold inFlókalundur andBrjánslækur .A ranger from the Nature Conservation Agency lves in the park during the summer providing information on the region, in addition to organizing walks and hikes.
External links and sources
*http://english.ust.is/National-Parks/Protectedareas/vatnsfjordur/
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