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Carra Lake, in County Mayo, Ireland, is a limestone lake known for its clear waters and rich biodiversity. It supports a unique ecosystem of aquatic plants and wildlife, thriving in its nutrient-poor waters. The surrounding limestone plains contribute to the lake's pristine condition, making it a popular spot for nature lovers and anglers.
In recent years, Lough Carra has faced environmental challenges due to agricultural runoff, affecting water quality. The Lough Carra Catchment Association is working to protect and restore the lake, ensuring its beauty and ecological value are preserved for future generations.
The second in the chain of three lakes, Lough Mask is fed by Carra and drains into Corrib. It is the deepest of the three and holds the greatest volume of water. Its catchment consists largely of mountain and moorland to the west and grassland farming to the east. The main settlements are Ballinrobe and Claremorris on the Robe river which drains a large catchment to the east.
Many of the streams and rivers entering Lough Mask are described as At Risk by the Environmental Protection Agency, as is the lake itself. The main ecological challenges come from agriculture and forestry and from domestic and municipal water and sewage discharges..
The largest of the three lakes, Corrib is fed by Lough Mask through subterranean channels, and by numerous rivers but principally the Clare, Owenriff and Black rivers. The catchment is largely mountain and Moor to the west and limestone grassland to the east. The main settlements in the catchment are Tuam, Claregalway, Headford, Moycullen and Oughterard.
Corrib is the main water supply for Tuam and for Galway City. It is subject to environmental challenges from land use and from poor water treatment both domestic and municipal. Lower Lough Corrib is described as At Risk by the EPA. The clean water indicator species Arctic Char was lost from Upper Corrib some decades ago.
