Best Floodplain

The Kaziranga Wetlands in Assam, India, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site designated in 1985, hosting two-thirds of the world's greater one-horned rhinoceros population within a floodplain ecosystem shaped by annual Brahmaputra floods.

Congaree National Park protects a floodplain forest along the Congaree and Wateree rivers in central South Carolina. Designated a national park in 2003, it contains one of the largest remaining areas of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the United States, including unusually tall trees of sev...

The Atchafalaya Basin is a vast river floodplain and wetland complex in south-central Louisiana, organized around the Atchafalaya River. Often described as the largest river swamp in the United States, it includes bottomland hardwood forests, cypress and tupelo swamps, bayous, lakes, and marshes. Th...

The Atchafalaya Basin Marshes are a vast expanse of river swamps and wetlands located in southern Louisiana, forming the largest river swamp in the United States. Fed by the Atchafalaya River, a distributary of the Mississippi, the basin functions as a critical floodway designed to manage water leve...

The Busanga Plains comprise an extensive wetland ecosystem located in the northern sector of Kafue National Park in Zambia. This area is characterized by seasonally flooded grasslands that retain water well into the dry season. The environment supports dense populations of red lechwe antelopes, whic...

The Pripyat Marshes in Belarus and Ukraine form one of Europe's largest remaining primeval wetlands, covering millions of hectares along the Pripyat River and serving as a major breeding ground for migratory birds on the East Atlantic Flyway.

The Bangweulu Wetlands are a large system of swamps, seasonally flooded grasslands, lakes, and channels in northern Zambia. Water levels expand and contract with seasonal rainfall, supporting fishing, livestock grazing, birdlife, and wildlife adapted to broad floodplains. The area is particularly im...

Liuwa Plain is a seasonally flooded grassland in western Zambia that forms the core of Liuwa Plain National Park. Located on the upper Zambezi floodplain, it supports open savanna ecosystems dominated by grasses and seasonal wetlands. Each year it hosts a blue wildebeest migration that is among the...

The Bangweulu Wetlands represent a vast freshwater marshland within Zambia’s floodplain. This protected area is notable for supporting substantial populations of the endangered black lechwe antelope and harboring diverse wetland flora including papyrus reeds. It provides critical habitat for numerou...

Soomaa Floodplain Meadows are located within Soomaa National Park in Estonia, established in 1993. The meadows are seasonally inundated by flooding from the Halliste, Navesti, and other rivers, a phenomenon locally called the "fifth season." This annual floodplain ecosystem supports a distinctive we...

Lonjsko Polje is a seasonally flooded alluvial plain along the Sava River in central Croatia, and the largest protected floodplain area in the Danube basin. It was designated a Ramsar wetland of international importance in 1993 and forms part of Lonjsko Polje Nature Park. The area is known for tradi...

Matsalu Wetland (Matsalu National Park) is a wetland complex in western Estonia covering approximately 486 square kilometers. The area includes coastal meadows, reed beds, floodplains, and shallow bays of the Baltic Sea. Established as a nature reserve in 1957 and designated as a national park in 20...

The Pinsk Marshes, also known as the Pripet Marshes, are an expansive wetland region situated along the Pripyat River in Belarus and Ukraine. Spanning the Polesian Lowland, they constitute one of the most extensive complexes of bogs, peatlands, and floodplain forests on the European continent. The r...

The Paraná Delta Marshes are an extensive system of fluvial wetlands located within the floodplain of the Paraná River in Argentina. This freshwater delta is characterized by a complex network of islands, streams, and marshes that support high biodiversity, including numerous bird and fish species....

Liuwa Plain National Park is a protected area situated in the Upper Zambezi flood plains of western Zambia. Established as a national park in 1972, it encompasses a vast grassland ecosystem that hosts Africa's second-largest annual blue wildebeest migration. The park is co-managed by the Zambian Dep...

Dongting Lake in Hunan Province, China, is a large, shallow freshwater lake that acts as a flood-relief basin for the Yangtze River. It fluctuates significantly in size depending on the season and rainfall. The lake is an important habitat for the endangered Yangtze finless porpoise and migratory bi...

The Kafue Flats in central Zambia are a seasonally flooded plain along the Kafue River covering about 6,500 sq km, supporting the endemic Kafue lechwe antelope in numbers exceeding 40,000 individuals.

The Barmah Forest Wetlands are an extensive network of marshes and woodlands occupying the floodplain of the Murray River in Victoria, Australia. Designated as a Ramsar site, the area is ecologically distinguished by containing the world's largest forest of river red gum trees. The ecosystem relies...

The Skjern River Wetlands are a restored floodplain ecosystem in western Denmark, formed by the Skjern Å river as it flows into the Ringkøbing Fjord. The area was the site of Denmark's largest ecological restoration project, which concluded in 2002 after the river was remeandered from an artificial...

Kaziranga Savanna represents a vital subtropical floodplain ecosystem within Kaziranga National Park in Assam, India. This unique savanna habitat is globally significant due to its concentration of endangered one-horned rhinoceroses, representing over two-thirds of the world’s population. The area s...

The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge was established in 1924 and follows approximately 261 miles of the Mississippi River through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois. It protects a connected landscape of river channels, backwaters, marshes, floodplain forests, islands,...

The Macquarie Marshes is a significant floodplain wetland located in inland New South Wales, Australia. It’s recognized internationally as a Ramsar site due to its exceptional biodiversity and crucial role as a breeding ground for numerous bird species. The marshes support a diverse ecosystem includ...

The Barotse Floodplain is a vast, seasonally inundated plain in western Zambia. It’s notable for its unique microclimate and biodiversity fostered by fluctuating water levels. Primarily utilized by Tonga communities for agriculture and livestock grazing, it supports a rich ecosystem adapted to cycli...

Kopački Rit is a large wetland and floodplain nature park in eastern Croatia, near the confluence of the Danube and Drava rivers. Seasonal flooding creates a shifting mosaic of channels, marshes, lakes, reed beds, and floodplain forest that supports numerous fish and waterbird species. The area is p...

The Brahmaputra Valley encompasses a vast tropical floodplain primarily located within India and Bangladesh. This area’s geology—formed by extensive alluvial deposits from the Brahmaputra River—creates exceptionally fertile land. It is significant for its agricultural potential supporting tea cultiv...

Pulborough Brooks is an RSPB reserve on the River Arun floodplain in West Sussex, England, known for seasonally flooded grazing marsh and wintering wildfowl.

Moremi Savanna represents a significant portion of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, encompassing areas adjacent to the renowned Moremi Game Reserve. This savanna ecosystem is notable for its rich biodiversity including substantial elephant and predator populations. The region's extensive floodplain suppor...

Minesing Wetlands are a 6,000-hectare wetland complex in Ontario's Nottawasaga River basin, designated a Ramsar site of international importance in 1996.

Shannon Callows is a seasonally flooded grassland system along the River Shannon in Ireland, protected for its extensive hay meadows and wintering waterbirds.