Lough Gill (590)
Ireland, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Lough Gill
Central coordinates: Latitude: 52.2667, Longitude: -10.0333
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 3 to 3
Area of KBA (km2): 1.53987
Protected area coverage (%): 99.99
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Lough Gill is situated on the Magharees peninsula in Tralee Bay, on the north coast of County Kerry. It is a very shallow coastal lagoon, with a modified inlet and sluice gate, draining into Tralee Bay. The lagoon is fringed by extensive reedbeds and bordered by dunes, dune grassland and machair on its northern side, while intensive farmland borders most of its southern side. The dune system has been modified by golf-course development. The lagoon is used for fishing and boating.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: This is an important wintering site for swans Cygnus.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (20%) | hunting (100%) | water management (5%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Nutrient pollution of Lough Gill, due to run-off from agriculture and probably forestry, is a serious threat to water and habitat quality. There is increasing pressure on the site from fishing and amenity interests. Recent extraction of sand from the lake has been stopped, for the present. The site lies within a proposed candidate Special Area for Conservation (Tralee Bay and Magherees peninsula, West to Cloghane; area not known).