Romania is full of beautiful places, some even rare in the world or in Europe. So is the place where the thermal water lily grows. Both in Romania and on the entire European continent, the thermal water lily can be found in one place. Where can the thermal water lily be found in Romania and how did it appear?
Unique place in Romania. The only lake where the thermal water lily grows
Just a few kilometers from Oradea, in the Băile 1 Mai resort, there is the Natural Reserve “Lacul cu Nuferi – Părăul Pețea”, a real refuge of biodiversity. This is the only place in Romania, but also in Europe, where the flower of a thermal water lily can be admired.
Originally from the Nile region, the thermal lotus (Nymphaea lotus L. var. Thermalis) found in this thermal water a favorable environment to evolve. It is assumed that its seeds were brought either by Turks or by migratory birds.
In 1931, as a result of the efforts of Professor Alexandru Borza, the thermal water lily was officially recognized as a monument of nature. A year later, in 1932, the Peţa thermal lake and its endemic species were included in the protection regime, obtaining the status of a nature reserve.
Two more species in the reserve are protected by law and have been placed in protective aquariums. These are the snail Melanopsis parreyssi and the little fish Scardinius racovitzai, also known as the thermal redfish, which can still be admired in this unique place.
The place where the endangered thermal water lily grows
Unfortunately, the thermal aquatic habitat is on the verge of extinction due to the overexploitation of the thermal water for spa purposes in the two resorts in the commune of Sânmartin, respectively Băile Felix and Băile 1 Mai. The thermal water lily disappeared for good once Pețea Lake dried up in 2011.
“Currently, the lake has less than 2% of the initial surface and 3% of the usual volume”, says Radu Huza, a geologist at MŢC, for Agerpres.
The flower, saved by a Romanian researcher
The good news is that the thermal water lily was saved by the researcher from the University of Oradea, Cristian Blidar. He managed, on his own, to cultivate this species in vitro. The water lily can be admired a few kilometers away from the lake, in a specially arranged place at Băile Felix.
“This reservation must remain under the strict control of the Ministry and the Environment Agency. They have the necessary levers at the central level and they have the power through the ministry to impose some measures, if it comes to renouncing custody”, said Aurel Chiriac, MTC director, years ago.
