The Mureș Floodplain Natural Park, set aside by the Romanian government in 2005, is located in western Romania outside the city of Arad. The park covers 17,455 ha and follows the Mureş River westward from the city of Arad to the Hungarian border. The park is a typical ecosystem for wetlands, with running waters, lakes, swamps and floodplains, with forests, an important place for the passage and nesting of bird species and is subjected to periodical floods (a flood every three years). The forests (7,500 ha) in the park are made up primarily of common oak, narrow-leafed ash, black and white poplar, white willow, and American black walnut. This area is an important place for nesting and passage for nearly 200 species of birds, most of which are strictly protected internationally.