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Glencar Lough (), locally known as Glencar Lake, is a
Glencar Lough lies in the Glencar Valley, between the Dartry Mountains to the north and the mountain range including Cope's Mountain to the south. The lake is located about northeast of 
Glencar Lough is primarily fed by Glencar Waterfall, on the lake's northern shore, and by the Diffreen River, entering at the lake's eastern end. Sruth in Aghaidh an Aird also flows out to the northern shore, just west of the Glencar Waterfall outflow. The lake drains west into the Drumcliff River, which in turn flows into Sligo Bay. Lake depth is greatest near the southern shore with a shallower shelf at the northern shore.
Fish present in Glencar Lough include salmon and
freshwater
Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...
lake in the northwest of Ireland. It covers an area of and lies mostly in County Leitrim with a smaller part in County Sligo. Glencar Waterfall is located near the lake's north shore on the Leitrim side.
Geography
Glencar Lough lies in the Glencar Valley, between the Dartry Mountains to the north and the mountain range including Cope's Mountain to the south. The lake is located about northeast of Sligo
Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the List of urban areas ...
and about west of Manorhamilton. It is long from west to east and wide. The lake has two crannogs (artificial islands): one at the western end near the Drumcliff River outlet and the other at the eastern end near the Diffreen River.
Hydrology
Glencar Lough is primarily fed by Glencar Waterfall, on the lake's northern shore, and by the Diffreen River, entering at the lake's eastern end. Sruth in Aghaidh an Aird also flows out to the northern shore, just west of the Glencar Waterfall outflow. The lake drains west into the Drumcliff River, which in turn flows into Sligo Bay. Lake depth is greatest near the southern shore with a shallower shelf at the northern shore.
Natural history
Fish present in Glencar Lough include salmon and brown trout
The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a European species of salmonid fish that has been widely introduced into suitable environments globally. It includes purely freshwater populations, referred to as the riverine ecotype, ''Salmo trutta'' morph ...
. Bird life includes tufted duck, pochard and goldeneye. These are migratory species which winter at the lake.
Ecology
The water quality was reported to be excellent with anoligotrophic
An oligotroph is an organism that can live in an environment that offers very low levels of nutrients. They may be contrasted with copiotrophs, which prefer nutritionally rich environments. Oligotrophs are characterized by slow growth, low rates of ...
rating. The ecology of Glencar Lough, and other Irish waterways, remain threatened by curly waterweed
''Lagarosiphon major'' is a monocotic aquatic plant
Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments (saltwater or freshwater). They are also referred to as hydrophytes or macrophytes to distinguish them from a ...
, zebra mussel, and freshwater clam
Freshwater bivalves are one kind of freshwater mollusc, along with freshwater snails. They are bivalves that live in fresh water as opposed to salt water, which is the main habitat type for bivalves.
The majority of species of bivalve molluscs l ...
invasive species.
History
Historically Glencar Valley was known as ''Glenn-Dallain'' and was part of the Kingdom of Breifne. The lake and its crannogs, then occupied, are mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters, specifically the eastern crannog where "the sons of Donough O'Rourke, i.e. Donnell and Ferganainm, made an attack upon the crannog, and privately set fire to the town".Economy
Barite
Baryte, barite or barytes ( or ) is a mineral consisting of barium sulfate ( Ba S O4). Baryte is generally white or colorless, and is the main source of the element barium. The ''baryte group'' consists of baryte, celestine (strontium sulfate), ...
was mined at Glencarbury in the Dartry Mountains above the lake between 1894 and 1979. A cable ropeway from the mine area to the lake shore was constructed in 1942. By this means the extracted barite was taken down for onward road transport.
The Glencar Water Company has its bottling plant located near the lake's northern shore. The company, established in 2008, sells water drawn from an onsite spring emanating from within the nearby Dartry Mountains.
See also
*List of loughs in Ireland
This is an alphabetical list of loughs (lakes) on the island of Ireland. It also shows a table of the largest loughs. The word ''lough'' is pronounced like ''loch'' () and comes from the Irish ''loch'', meaning ''lake''.
According to the Environm ...
References and notes
Notes
Primary sources
Secondary sources
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Glencar Lakes of County Leitrim Lakes of County Sligo