Durnesh Lough
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Durnesh Lough is a sedimentary lagoon on the west coast of County Donegal, in the south of the county.
The lough is about seven and a half miles north of Ballyshannon on the R231 road, just past the village of Rossnowlagh. It measures about a mile long north–south and half a mile wide.
Geography
Durnesh Lough is separated from the sea by drumlins and high sand dunes. At one time there was a natural outflow, but that has been replaced by an artificial channel flowing to the sea, which admits some seawater. A small number of streams enter the lagoon, which has a salinity of up to 7 ppt.[1] [2]
Nature
The lagoon forms the main part of the 'Durnesh Lough Special Area of Conservation', other parts being the dunes, the beach, a cobble storm-beach, drumlins covered with sand and a small seawater lagoon.[2]
The margins of the lough have extensive reedbeds with common reed (Phragmites australis), rush (Typha latifolia) and clubrush (Scirpus lacustris). In the parts of the lough with a muddy substrate]], the emergent vegetation includes yellow iris Iris pseudacorus, mare's tail (Hippuris vulgaris) and reed canary-grass (Phalaris arundinacea). In the stony areas there are shoreweed (Littorella uniflora) and common club-rush. Submerged vegetation includes tasselweed (Ruppia cirrhosa), beaked tasselweed (Ruppia maritima), and the uncommon freshwater green alga Chara canescens. There are also some uncommon invertebrates among the 48 taxa recorded in the lough.[2]
Fish species in Durnesh Lough include sand goby, flounder, rudd, three-spined stickleback, brown trout and eels. Otters also play here.
Durnesh Lough is also part of the 'Durnesh Lough Important Bird Area'. Significant species wintering here include mute swan, whooper swan, tundra swan,[3] greater white-fronted goose and several species of duck which feed in the wet grassland adjacent to the lough.
Location
- Location map: 54°34’15"N, 8°11’4"W
References
- ↑ Water Framework Directive Fish Stock Survey of Durnesh Lough: Inland Fisheries Ireland (2009)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Durnesh Lough SAC: National Parks and Wildlife Service (Ireland)
- ↑ 557 IBA: BirdLife International
- A Reference Based Typology and Ecological Assessment System for Irish Lakes: Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) (2006) page 17