Lough Barra Explained

Lough Barra
Pushpin Map:Island of Ireland
Pushpin Map Alt:Lough Barra location in Ireland
Pushpin Label Position:none
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Ireland
Location:County Donegal
Inflow:River Barra
Outflow:Gweebarra River
Catchment:19.68km2
Basin Countries:Ireland
Length:1.4km (00.9miles)
Width:0.8km (00.5miles)
Area:0.63km2
Depth:4.4m (14.4feet)
Max-Depth:11.6m (38.1feet)
Elevation:90m (300feet)

Lough Barra is a freshwater lake in the northwest of Ireland. It is located in north County Donegal in the valley along the Gweebarra fault.

Geography

Lough Barra is about 30km (20miles) west of Letterkenny, just outside the southwest corner of Glenveagh National Park. It measures about 1.5km (00.9miles) long and 1km (01miles) wide.

Hydrology

Lough Barra is fed mainly by the Barra River entering at its northern end. The lake drains southwards into the Gweebarra River. The lake, like other area lakes, is oligotrophic.

Natural history

Fish species in Lough Barra include brown trout, salmon and the critically endangered European eel. Lough Barra is part of the Cloghernagore Bog and Glenveagh National Park Special Area of Conservation, which also includes Lough Beagh.

See also