Lough Barra (Irish: Loch Beara)[4] is a freshwater lake in the northwest of Ireland. It is located in north County Donegal in the valley along the Gweebarra fault.
Lough Barra | |
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![]() ![]() Location in Ireland | |
Location | County Donegal |
Coordinates | 54°57′26″N 8°6′19″W |
Native name | Loch Beara (Irish) |
Primary inflows | River Barra |
Primary outflows | Gweebarra River |
Catchment area | 19.68 km2 (7.6 sq mi) |
Basin countries | Ireland |
Max. length | 1.4 km (1 mi) |
Max. width | 0.8 km (0.5 mi) |
Surface area | 0.63 km2 (0.24 sq mi) |
Average depth | 4.4 m (14 ft) |
Max. depth | 11.6 m (38 ft) |
Surface elevation | 90 m (300 ft) |
References | [1][2][3] |
Lough Barra is about 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of Letterkenny, just outside the southwest corner of Glenveagh National Park.[3] It measures about 1.5 km (0.9 mi) long and 1 km (0.6 mi) wide.[2]
Lough Barra is fed mainly by the Barra River entering at its northern end. The lake drains southwards into the Gweebarra River.[2] The lake, like other area lakes, is oligotrophic.[5]
Fish species in Lough Barra include brown trout, salmon and the critically endangered European eel.[3] Lough Barra is part of the Cloghernagore Bog and Glenveagh National Park Special Area of Conservation, which also includes Lough Beagh.[5]