Lough Arrow

Lough Arrow (Irish: Loch Arbhach)[6] is a freshwater lake in the northwest of Ireland. This large, scenic lake covers an area of 12.47 square kilometres (4.8 sq mi) and lies mostly in County Sligo with a smaller part in County Roscommon. It is a popular trout fishing lake.

Lough Arrow
Toward the Bricklieve Mountains
Location in Ireland
Location	County Sligo, County Roscommon
Coordinates	54°3′12″N 8°19′15″W
Lake type	mesotrophic
Native name	Loch Arbhachcode: gle promoted to code: ga   (Irish)
Primary inflows	Mainly spring-fed, also some streams
Primary outflows	Unshin River
Catchment area	65.76 km^2 (25 sq mi)
Basin countries	Ireland
Max. length	6 km (3.7 mi)
Max. width	2 km (1.2 mi)
Surface area	12.47 km^2 (4.81 sq mi)
Average depth	9 m (30 ft)
Max. depth	33 m (108 ft)
Surface elevation	53 m (174 ft)
Islands	4
References	[1][2][3][4][5]

Geography

Lough Arrow lies mostly in south County Sligo about 24 kilometres (15 mi) southeast of Sligo and 6 km (4 mi) northwest of Boyle. The Bricklieve Mountains rise west of the lake.

Looking towards Inishmore island

Lough Arrow is about 6 km (3.7 mi) long from north to south and 2 km (1.2 mi) wide.[4] The lake has four islands: Annaghgowla, Inishmore, Inishbeg and Muck.[5]

Hydrology

Lough Arrow is a mesotrophic lake. It is fed mainly by springs but also by a number of streams entering on the lake's western and southern sides.[1] The lake drains north into the Unshin River.[4][5] The mean lake depth is 9 m (30 ft) with a maximum depth of 33 m (108 ft).[4]

Natural history

Fish present in Lough Arrow include brown trout, perch, roach, three-spined stickleback, pike, rudd, bream and the critically endangered European eel.[4] A number of duck species winter at the lake including mallard, wigeon, teal, red-breasted merganser, tufted duck, pochard and goldeneye. Other bird species found at the lake include great crested grebe, little grebe, cormorant and mute swan.[3]

Lough Arrow has been designated a Special Area of Conservation as a hard water lake habitat.[1]

History

A number of important historical sites are located in the area around Lough Arrow. Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery is located in the Bricklieve Mountains above the lake's western side. It is one of the most extensive and best preserved complexes of the Irish Passage Tomb Tradition.[7] Moytura, located on the eastern side of the lake, features standing stones and is also the site of the mythological Second Battle of Moytura.[8]

See also

• List of loughs in Ireland

References

1. "Lough Arrow SAC" (PDF). National Parks and Wildlife Service (Ireland). Retrieved 21 May 2015.
2. "A Reference Based Typology and Ecological Assessment System for Irish Lakes" (PDF). Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland). 2006. p. 10. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
3. "Lough Arrow". BirdWatch Ireland. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
4. "Water Framework Directive Fish Stock Survey of Lough Arrow" (PDF). Inland Fisheries Ireland. July 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
5. Google (17 May 2015). "Lough Arrow" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
6. "Loch Arbhach/Lough Arrow - logainm.ie". Gazetteer of Ireland. Government of Ireland - Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
7. "The cairns at Carrowkeel". Carrowkeel.com. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
8. "The Second Battle of Moytura". Carrowkeel.com. Retrieved 17 May 2015.

External links

• Media related to Lough Arrow at Wikimedia Commons