Naujan Lake is the fifth largest lake in the country. The lake watershed bounds the protected area. More than 50% of the watershed, which used to have lush forest, is planted to citrus and only small patches of secondary forest are left. The plain areas inside the watershed are intensively used for cultivation of paddy rice with irrigation water coming from the Lake. Surrounding it are 17 lakeshore communities. The local people use the lake as a communal fishing ground. The marshland adjacent to the Lake remains under grass and sedge. The dense growth of Scirpus sp. is collected and used for weaving baskets. The dense cover serves as habitat to resident and migratory waterfowls. The presence of wildlife also raises the value of the Lake as a recreational area.
Three species of Anatidae are recorded in the area, namely: Anas luzonica, Aythya fuligula and Dendrocygna arcuata. Aythya fuligula supported by the lake is estimated greater than 1% of its population from the counts by the protected Area and Wildlife Bureau, Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Naujan Lake National Park is placed at the northeastern part of Mindoro Island, Philippines. It has an area of 8,125 hectares of open water, 1,412 hectares of marshland and 5,030 hectares of terrestrial catchment.
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