Gartan Lough (), also known as Lough Beagh South, is a freshwater lake in the northwest of Ireland. It is located in north
County Donegal
County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconn ...
Letterkenny
Letterkenny ( ga, Leitir Ceanainn , meaning 'hillside of the O'Cannons'), nicknamed 'the Cathedral Town', is the largest and most populous town in County Donegal, a county in Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. Letterkenny lies on the R ...
. It measures about long and wide.
Hydrology
Gartan Lough is fed by the Bullaba River entering at its southern end. The lake drains northeastwards into the River Leannan, which in turn enters Lough Fern.
Natural history
Fish species in Gartan Lough include
Arctic char
The Arctic char or Arctic charr (''Salvelinus alpinus'') is a cold-water fish in the family Salmonidae, native to alpine lakes and arctic and subarctic coastal waters. Its distribution is Circumpolar North. It spawns in freshwater and populat ...
. Gartan Lough is part of the Leannan River
Special Area of Conservation
A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and a ...
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{{cite report , last1 = Free , first1 = Gary , last2 = Little , first2 = Ruth , last3 = Tierney , first3 = Deirdre , last4 = Donnelly , first4 = Karol , last5 = Caroni , first5 = Rossana , name-list-style = amp , url = https://www.epa.ie/publications/research/water/Final-Report-(2000-FS1-M1).pdf#page=17 , title = A Reference Based Typology and Ecological Assessment System for Irish Lakes , date = 2006 , pages = 11 , publisher =
Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland)
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for protecting and improving the environment as a valuable asset for the people of Ireland. It operates independently under the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.
H ...
, access-date = 12 October 2022{{Google maps , url = https://www.google.com/maps/place/Gartan+Lough,+Co.+Donegal,+Ireland/@54.9917973,-7.9201478,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x485f9118f2dba127:0xba05adbbbb1f4301?hl=en , title = Gartan Lough , access-date = 2 September 2015{{cite web , url = http://www.logainm.ie/en/111166 , title = Loch Gartáin/Gartan Lough or Lough Beagh South , work =
Placenames Database of Ireland
The Placenames Database of Ireland ( ga, Bunachar Logainmneacha na hÉireann), also known as , is a database and archive of place names in Ireland. It was created by Fiontar, Dublin City University in collaboration with the Placenames Branch of ...
Dublin City University
Dublin City University (abbreviated as DCU) ( ga, Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a university based on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. Created as the ''National Institute for Higher Education, Dublin'' in 1975, it enrolled its ...
, access-date = 2 September 2015{{cite web , url = http://www.npws.ie/protected-sites/sac/002176 , title = Leannan River SAC , publisher =
National Parks and Wildlife Service (Ireland)
The National Parks and Wildlife Service () manages the Irish State's nature conservation responsibilities. As well as managing the national parks, the activities of the NPWS include the designation and protection of Natural Heritage Areas, Special ...