Location
The Special Protection Area (20461 ha) is situated in Wroclawska pravalley in the territory of  Silesian Lowland. The area includes a 70 km-long fragment of the Odra river valley between Narok town and Wroclaw city.

Geological History and Landscape
The landscape of this area had been formed in last few thousands years. First by flooding waters of melting glacier then by Odra river, and last two thousands years by man actions like cutting down the forests, agriculture, land reclamation and building up the area. At present it's 10-12 km wide river valley filled by sediments carried by water: soils of alluvial fen types and sands.

Ecosystem
Ecosystem of Grady Odrzanskie is strongly connected with every year fluctuation of water level in Odra river and it is overflowing in the bottom of the valley in spring. Because of the present changes in environment (decreasing of forests in mountains and flood control undertakes). The way that the river affects to surrounding nature has also changed.

The site Grady Odrzanskie is covered by small pieces of old carrs remained after the old Puszcza Niemodlinska and typical ecosystems for middle European river valleys with riparian forests and extensively used riverside meadows.

The area is full of various habitats. Its eastern part is dominated by fresh oak-hornbeam stands and small patches of ash-elm and willow-poplar woodlands. You can also admire rush communities, flooded meadows and sedges. In Zwierzyniec and Kanigora nature reserves, you can find old, over two hundred year old oak-hornbeam trees. In western part most of the area is covered by vast mowing meadows, euthrophic herbs and sedges. What's more you can meet here lots of floodplains and former riverbeds. The site is also full of fertile soils and that is why the whole area is covered by pastures. Almost 60% area of Grady Odrzanskie is covered by arable ground, meadows and pastures.

Flora
Very old trees occur in this area with domination of oaks, hornbeams, maples and elms among which you can find nature monuments. The most valuable plants are: Carex Davalliana, Carex Umbrosa, Fringed Pink, French Rose, Floating Watermoss, Water Chestnut.

Fauna
The site Grady Odrzanskie is the area where about 150 birds' species occur in which 4 are extremely rare:  White Tailed Eagle, Black Kite, Red Kite and Little Bittern. and 18 other species are listed in Annex I Birds' Directive: Ortolan Bunting, Common Kingfisher, European Nightjar, White and Black Stork, Marsh Harrier, Corn Crake, Black, Middle Spotted and Grey-headed Woodpecker, Common Crane, Red-backed Shrike, Collared and Red-breasted Flycatcher, European - Honey Buzzard, Little Crake and Barred Warbler. Except birds other interesting species occur in the area: European Stag Beetle, Brook Lamprey, White Finned Gudgeon, European Bitterling, Great Crested Newt, Fire-bellied Toad, European Pond Turtle, otter and beaver.

Threats
The nature of Grady Odrzanskie is threatened by:

• giving up extensive agriculture forms, land drying, burning down the vegetation, more intensive agriculture economy;
• intensive forest economy, cutting down old trees, removing dead trees from the forest;
• communal wastewater disposal and water contamination;
• building up the area near wild animals' habitats;
• dispersing animals, penetration of birds' habitats, nests destroying and poaching.

Nature conservation
The area is covered by following forms of nature conservation: Nature Reserve: Grodzisko Ryczynskie (1,8 ha), Kanigora (5,1 ha), Lacha Jelcz (6,9 ha), Zwierzyniec (9,0 ha), Landscape Park: Stobrawski (52637,0 ha).

It is planned to make a Landscape Park of Dolina Odry and Olawy (about 15000 ha.). In my opinion also two big areas should be protected: a piece from Siedlce to Strachocin (about 3600 ha), and the site Olawa-Lipki (about 2500 ha).