Lough Owel
Appearance
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Owel
)
Lough Owel | |
---|---|
Loch Uail (Irish) | |
Location | County Westmeath |
Coordinates | 53°34′23″N 7°23′18″W / 53.57306°N 7.38833°W |
Lake type | Glacial lake |
Primary outflows | River Brosna |
Catchment area | 32.15 km2 (12.41 sq mi) |
Basin countries | Ireland |
Max. length | 6 km (3.7 mi) |
Max. width | 3 km (1.9 mi) |
Surface area | 10.22 km2 (3.95 sq mi) |
Max. depth | 21 m (69 ft) |
Surface elevation | 97 m (318 ft) |
Islands | 6 |
References | [1][2] |
Designated | 7 June 1996 |
Reference no. | 851[3] |
Lough Owel (
primary road.Hydrology
Lough Owel and Lough Ennell are two of many lakes that form the River Brosna drainage basin. The Brosna is a tributary of the Shannon, flowing through Mullingar and Kilbeggan, both in Westmeath, and from there through the town of Clara (County Offaly) into the Shannon.[5] It is a large, deep, calcareous spring-fed lake and has clear water with a high pH.
Islands and history
There are four main islands in the lough, the largest being Church Island, named because of the ruins of a church known as St. Loman's Oratory that used to be in the Parish of
Máel Sechnaill mac Maíl Ruanaid in 845.[7]
Natural history
Since 1996 the lake has received international protection as a
white-fronted geese from Greenland.[8] It is noted for its birdlife and is also well known amongst anglers, and holds a few char along with brown trout. Because of the limited spawning facilities in the streams feeding the lough, the local Cullion Fish Farm is used to rear some of the trout eggs stripped from the adult fish, and the fish fry is later returned to the lough.[9]
See also
- List of loughs in Ireland
References
- ^ Free, Gary; Little, Ruth; Tierney, Deirdre; Donnelly, Karol & Caroni, Rossana (2006). A Reference Based Typology and Ecological Assessment System for Irish Lakes (PDF) (Report). Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland). p. 13. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
- ^ a b "Fish Stock Survey of Lough Owel" (PDF). Inland Fisheries Ireland. September 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ^ "Lough Owel". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and Dublin City University. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ISBN 0-540-05831-9.
- ^ "Church Island". Ask about Ireland. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
- ISBN 9780713413045
- ^ "Important Bird Areas factsheet: Lough Owel". Ramsar. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
- ^ "Lough Owel, Mullingar, Co Westmeath". Angling Ireland. Retrieved 13 March 2020.