Lough Bane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lough BaneAn Loch Bán |
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 Location in island of Ireland
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| Location | County Meath and County Westmeath |
| Coordinates | 53°41′20″N 7°10′20″W / 53.68889°N 7.17222°W |
| Type | Glacial lake |
| Primary outflows | River Deel |
| Catchment area | 4.7 km2 (1.8 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Ireland |
| Surface area | 0.75 km2 (0.29 sq mi) |
| Max. depth | 16 m (52 ft) |
| Surface elevation | 112 m (367 ft) |
Lough Bane (which means "The White Lake" in Irish) is a beautiful lake in Ireland. It sits right on the border between two counties: County Meath and County Westmeath. Imagine a line going through the middle of the lake – that's where the counties meet!
Lough Bane is part of a special protected area. This area is called the Lough Bane and Lough Glass Special Area of Conservation. Lough Bane is the biggest of three lakes in this important nature spot. The other two lakes are Lough Glass and Lough Glass North. You can find Lough Bane about 10 km (6 mi) from the town of Oldcastle.
Water Features
Lough Bane is connected to the River Boyne system. Water flows out of Lough Bane into the River Deel from its southeastern side. The deepest part of the lake is about 16 m (52 ft).
The lake's water is very clear and clean. Scientists call this "oligotrophic" water. This means it has low levels of nutrients. However, the lake is surrounded by farmland. This makes it a bit sensitive to pollution.
Lough Bane is an important source of drinking water. It supplies water to the towns of Kells and Oldcastle. In 2018, the water plant at Lough Bane supplied a huge amount of water. It sent out about 2,500,000 litres (550,000 imp gal; 660,000 US gal) of water every day! That same year, there was a drought. The lake's water level dropped to its lowest point in over 30 years. When the water was low, layers of marl became visible on the lake shore. Marl is a type of soft, crumbly soil or clay.
Amazing Wildlife
Lough Bane is home to many different kinds of plants and animals. It's a great place to see nature up close!
Fish in the Lake
You can find several types of fish swimming in Lough Bane. These include perch, brown trout, rainbow trout, and pike. There are also tiny nine-spined sticklebacks. Sadly, the critically endangered European eel also lives here. Perch are the most common fish in the lake. The Lough Bane Angling Association helps by adding brown trout and rainbow trout to the lake. This is called "stocking" and helps keep the fish population healthy for fishing.
It's sad to know that white-clawed crayfish used to live in the lake. But they have not been seen since 1986.
Birds and Plants
Many birds visit or live around Lough Bane. Keep an eye out for the little grebe, cormorant, lapwing, curlew, and snipe.
The lake's clear waters are also home to special plants. You can find different types of stonewort algae here. These include Chara rudis, Chara curta, Chara globularis, and Chara contraria. Having healthy Chara plants is very special. They are becoming rare in many places.
Near the shore, you'll see many wetland plants. These include common club-rush, devil's-bit scabious, meadow thistle, and meadowsweet. The trees growing along the shoreline include beech, holly, and hazel.
Gallery
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View from County Meath
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Looking east on Lough Bane
