The delta Bøyaøyri is situated in an area with brackish water, which means the
water is a mixture of fresh water from the river and salt water from the fjord.
River deltas are among the most productive ecosystems in Norway.
River deltas are also an endangered type of ecosystem. In Norway, they cover
only small areas, but these are of great importance. River deltas serve among
other things as resting and nesting areas for both migratory and non-migratory
birds, and house various unusual or rare plant communities. Since river deltas
are often located near human settlements, they are also especially vulnerable
to human activities. In many of the fjordarms in Western Norway deltas have
been converted into building land or agricultural land. Thus, they have more
or less lost their value as a habitat for plants and animals.
Today, most of the Bøyaøyri still retains its original shape, with backwater
areas and ouses. However, since the river's run-off into the fjord has been
changed, the "old" part of the delta doesn't grow anymore. The sediments from
the glacial river are now deposited further out in the fjord, where a new
delta is building up.
Air photography of the delta Bøyaøyri. The borders of the nature reserve are marked red (© Fotonor).
