La Riserva si trova a circa 4 Km da Mazara del Vallo. Proveniendo da Palermo uscire sulla A29 allo svincolo di Campobello di Mazara, da qui proseguire sulla SS. 115 in direzione Mazara del Vallo/Trapani fino all’altezza del Km 57 ed immettersi sulla S.P. n. 85 che dopo circa 200 m. porta all’ingresso ovest nei pressi del centro visite.

Si tratta di una zona umida di origine carsica, in cui si susseguono da nord-ovest verso sud-est il Lago Preola ed i tre Gorghi Tondi, specchi lacustri naturali circondati da una fitta vegetazione palustre e sovrastati sul versante meridionale da costoni calcarei in parte ricoperti da macchia mediterranea, con prevalenza di Quercus calliprinus e Quercus ilex . Un’area strategica per avifauna acquatica. Il terreno circostante ai bacini si presenta già da anni fittamente coltivato a vigneto.

The integral natural Reserve of Lago Preola and Gorghi Tondi, included in 1991 among the natural protected areas of Regional Parks and Reserves Plan, has been instituted with Decree of Regional Enviromental Council Clerk n. 620/444, dated 04.11.1998. In the same regional Decree is also included a special agreement that sends the management of the area to Italian Association for World Wildlife Fund For Nature Onlus (WWF Italia Onlus). However since 1981 this area has been included among the natural beauties of Mazara del Vallo territory. The naturalistic bond concerns a part of territory that from Mazara del Vallo moves towards Torretta Granitola, in parallel and close to the south-western coast of Sicily. Its extends for 335,62 hectares, divided 107,5 in A Zone and 228 in B Zone . In the largest part of its perimeter the natural area is delimited by physical boundaries, as roads and railway. According to the regulation in force for A Zone, the management of Reserve decided ways and occasions of admittance to visit the area; the management besides decides about the authorization of scientific researches into the Reserve. In A Zone, according to the contents of the management program, it must be identified an integral protection zone, in which for the preservation of the species they will be placed those areas to expropriate and all the actions useful to restore natural habitats. In the remaining part of A zone it will must be developed biological farming. Besides the management of Reserve is going to create a mark of quality for the agricultural products. In B Zone the agricultural, sylvan and pastoral activities, while always in B zone the regulation prohibits the shooting, the building, the excavation of wells and quarries, the installation of greenhouse, the damage of flora and fauna, and so on. Besides they are subjected to authorization the repairs of the existing immovables and the rebuilding of the ruins.