Carrickaport Lough
Carrickaport lough is a freshwater lake of 114 acres in Kiltubrid parish, in the south of County Leitrim. Drumcong village, and Lough Scur, are found nearby. The lough is known for quality bream and pike fishing.[1]
The lake takes its name from the bordering townland, "Carrickaport", whose name, Carraig an Phoirt means 'rock of the port (or fort, or bank)'.
The ecology of Carrickaport lough, and other county waterways, is threatened by [curly waterweed (Lagarosiphon major), zebra mussel, and freshwater clam; all invasive species.[2]
The lough lies due west of Drumcong village and Lough Scur, in County Leitrim. The lake has an hourglass shape with a surface-area of about 114 acres,[3][4] and depths of 23 feet.[5] The level of Carrickaport lough is about a foot higher than Lough Scur, and a small stream of 600 yards running through Drumcong connects both lakes.[4]
Carrickaport lough is surrounded by high lands and bounded by the townlands of Drumbullog, Corderry (Morton), Carrickaport, Mullaghycullen, Drumcong, and Roscarban. The substrate consists of rock (15%), cobble (70%), gravel (10%) and sand (5%).[6]
Ecology
Fish present in Carrickaport include "roach-bream hybrids", perch, bream of 3 to 4 lbs, roach, and pike.[7] The pike population is the "native Irish strain" ga|liús meaning 'Irish pike') not the other pike strain of the British Isles (gailliasc meaning 'strange or foreign fish').[2] The lake has stocks of pike of up to 10 lbs.[5]
Following a survey in 2007 the condition of Carrickaport Lough was reported as "unsatisfactory" with filamentous algae present,[6] and pollution, along with a serious zebra mussel infestation, being also reported.[8][2] Carrickaport Lough is reed-fringed,[5] with approximately one fifth of substrate vegetation being common club-rush, while Potamogeton pondweed and the alien species Elodea canadensis are also present.[6]
Crayfish extinction
Carrickaport lough, with a shallow rocky shore, has some ideal potential white-clawed crayfish habitat,[6] While a population of white-clawed crayfish has previously been reported, no specimens were found when last surveyed in 2007.[8] Indeed, crayfish are never been found with zebra mussel,[9] and Irish stocks are threatened by non-indigenous crayfish species importation.[10]
Rare moss
In August 2000 the "Weissia rostellata" moss, regarded as a rare species in Ireland,[11] was found growing unshaded to partly-shaded (by grasses and rushes) on the damp clay-mud of a sparsely vegetated ditch beside the lake.[12]
Other wildlife
The Lister's river snail (Viviparus fasciatus) is abundant, and hog louse is also present.[6]
Location
- Location map: 54°1’48"N, 7°58’58"W
Outside links
- "Drumcong Townland, Co. Leitrim". https://www.townlands.ie/leitrim/leitrim/kiltubbrid/keshcarrigan/drumcong/.
References
- ↑ Leitrim Observer 1970, pp. 3.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Pedreschi et al. 2014.
- ↑ Haug 2011, pp. 35.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 MacMahon 1845, pp. 23.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 anglingireland.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 O’Connor et al. 2007, pp. 39-40.
- ↑ discoverireland.ie 2017.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 O’Connor et al. 2007, pp. 66.
- ↑ O’Connor et al. 2007, pp. 30.
- ↑ Reynolds 2011, pp. 124.
- ↑ Holyoak 2006, pp. 5.
- ↑ Holyoak 2006, pp. 8.
- anglingireland. "Satellite Pike Waters in the Ballinamore and Keshcarrigan area". Inland Fisheries Ireland. http://www.fishinginireland.info/pike/north/ballinamoreother.htm.
- "Carraig an Phoirt". pp. Archival records. https://www.logainm.ie/29317.aspx.
- Joyce, P. W. (Patrick Weston) (1913). Irish names of places. v.3. Dublin : Phoenix. https://archive.org/download/irishnamesofplac03joyc/irishnamesofplac03joyc.pdf.
- Haug, Per Ivar (2011). "Gazetteer of Ireland". Hommelvik: UBiT, Universitetsbiblioteket i Trondheim. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz1Sdt07UKt1ZjdhMjYyNzktMTQ3My00YjdlLWFkNGMtZDQ5ZjViMTFhYzA4/view.
- Holyoak, David Thomas: 'Weissia rostellata (Brid) Lindb.': Plantlife, 2006
- 'Correspondence relative to the navigation between Lough Erne and the River Shannon': Parliamentary Papers, House of Commons and Command, Volume 45 (H.M. Stationery Office, 1845)
- 'Monitoring of white-clawed crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes in Irish lakes in 2007': Irish Wildlife Manuals No. 37
- Pedreschi, D.; Kelly-Quinn, M.; Caffrey, J; O'Grady, M.; Mariani, S.; Phillimore, A. (2014). "Genetic structure of pike (Esox lucius) reveals a complex and previously unrecognized colonization history of Ireland". Journal of Biogeography 41 (3): 548–560. doi:10.1111/jbi.12220. PMID 25435649.
- discoverireland.ie (2017). "Coarse Angling Keshcarrigan". http://www.discoverireland.ie/Activities-Adventure/coarse-angling-keshcarrigan/71448.