The Site consists of several sub-sites south of Lake Balaton, the largest freshwater lake in Central Europe and also a Ramsar Site (Site no. 421). It mainly consists of natural or near-natural marshland, meadows and fishponds including many habitat types listed under the EU Habitats Directive. The Site supports globally and regionally threatened fish species such as the European mudminnow Umbra krameri, several breeding bird species such as the Eurasian bittern Botaurus stellaris stellaris as well as mammal species such as the otter Lutra lutra. The Site is also an important staging area during migration and wintering season for more than 20,000 waterbirds, including about 12,000 greater white-fronted geese Anser albifrons and 9,000 greylag geese Anser anser. The Site also hosts more than 1% of the population of the root vole Microtus oeconomus, which is endemic to the Carpathian Basin (Ramsar Criterion 9). Human uses of the Site includes fish farming, fishing, reed harvesting, hunting, forestry, and tourism. The Balaton Catchment Area Water Management Plan was completed in 2010 under the guidelines of the EU Water Framework Directive.