Lough Arrow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lough Arrow |
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Toward the Bricklieve Mountains
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 Location in island of Ireland
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| Location | County Sligo, County Roscommon |
| Coordinates | 54°3′12″N 8°19′15″W / 54.05333°N 8.32083°W |
| Lake type | mesotrophic |
| Native name | Loch Arbhach Error {{native name checker}}: parameter value is malformed (help) |
| Primary inflows | Mainly spring-fed, also some streams |
| Primary outflows | Unshin River |
| Catchment area | 65.76 km2 (25 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Ireland |
| Max. length | 6 km (3.7 mi) |
| Max. width | 2 km (1.2 mi) |
| Surface area | 12.47 km2 (4.81 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 9 m (30 ft) |
| Max. depth | 33 m (108 ft) |
| Surface elevation | 53 m (174 ft) |
| Islands | 4 |
Lough Arrow (which means Loch Arbhach in Irish) is a beautiful freshwater lake in the northwest of Ireland. It's a large and scenic lake, covering an area of about 12.5 square kilometers. Most of the lake is in County Sligo, with a smaller part in County Roscommon. Lough Arrow is very popular for trout fishing.
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Discovering Lough Arrow's Location
Lough Arrow is mostly found in the southern part of County Sligo. It is about 24 kilometers southeast of the city of Sligo. The lake is also about 6 kilometers northwest of Boyle. The Bricklieve Mountains rise up on the western side of the lake, making the scenery even more stunning.
Lough Arrow stretches about 6 kilometers from north to south. It is also about 2 kilometers wide. The lake has four islands that you can explore:
- Annaghgowla
- Inishmore
- Inishbeg
- Muck
How Lough Arrow Works: Hydrology
Lough Arrow is known as a mesotrophic lake. This means it has a medium amount of nutrients, which is good for many plants and animals. The lake gets most of its water from natural springs. Several streams also flow into the lake from its western and southern sides.
The water from Lough Arrow flows north into the Unshin River. The average depth of the lake is about 9 meters. However, in some spots, it can be as deep as 33 meters!
Amazing Wildlife of Lough Arrow
Lough Arrow is home to many different kinds of fish. You can find brown trout, perch, and pike here. Other fish include roach, three-spined stickleback, rudd, and bream. The critically endangered European eel also lives in the lake.
Many types of ducks spend the winter at Lough Arrow. These include:
Other birds you might see around the lake are the great crested grebe, little grebe, cormorant, and mute swan.
Lough Arrow is so special that it has been named a Special Area of Conservation. This protects its unique hard water lake habitat.
Exploring Lough Arrow's Rich History
The area around Lough Arrow is full of important historical sites. One of the most famous is Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery. It is located in the Bricklieve Mountains, just above the western side of the lake. This cemetery is one of the largest and best-preserved groups of ancient Passage Tombs in Ireland.
On the eastern side of the lake, you'll find a place called Moytura. This area has ancient standing stones. It is also famous as the site of the mythological Second Battle of Moytura. This battle is an important part of Irish legends.
