Kilsviken-Åråsviken is situated in the north-east corner of Lake Vänern, the largest lake in Sweden. It consists of three large bays (Kilsviken, Kolstrandsviken and Åråsviken) with numerous islands, the river Gullspångsälven and the shoreline around the bays. The landscape is a mosaic of open water, reeds, and forested and grazed wetlands. More than 250 different bird species have been reported and about 60 species of waterbirds regularly visit the area, including the nationally threatened ruff Philomachus pugnax and the globally vulnerable common pochard Aythya ferina. The Site constitutes important spawning grounds for the salmon Salmo salar and a local subspecies of brown trout Salmo trutta. The Site is important for nutrient cycling as well as for the provision of drinking water. Human activities include cattle grazing, recreation, timber production and fishing. The main threats to its ecological character relate to expansion of existing infrastructure such as marinas and docks. The regulation of Lake Vänern over the last century has led to the reduction of the variation in water levels, leading trees and bushes to colonize the shallow bays and open shorelines.

Last publication date: 06-04-2017