Lough Corry ASSI

Lough Corry is a mid-altitude lake generally bordered by shallow sloping peatland but with steep sloping ground to the south. Most of the surrounding area is now under afforestation.

It is a special place due to its aquatic flora and fauna, which is dependent on the unpolluted water and low levels of plant nutrients. The substrate of the lake is diverse, and ranges from boulder and rock to gravel with sand, except upon the western shoreline which consists of a peat substrate. This provides a range of habitats for a wide diversity of plants and animals.

This type of lake is becoming increasingly rare in Northern Ireland due to pollution. Beds of quillwort and shoreweed are found in the deeper water in the northern half while water lobelia occurs locally along the southern shore. Floating club-rush, bulbous rush and stonewort occur among these submerged beds. Broad-leaved pondweed and white and yellow water lilies form floating rafts on the surface. Surrounding the lake is a swamp habitat, which contains many different species of emergent vegetation; water horsetail dominates the open water in the western half of the lake, while bottle sedge and common spike rush can be found along much of the shoreline along with localised stands of common reed and bulrush.