Lakes
Northern Ireland has many lakes and is noted for having some of the largest lakes in the British Isles, including Lough Neagh, Lower Lough Erne and Upper Lough Erne. Lakes are important natural resources particularly for agriculture, fisheries, recreational use, amenity value and as sources of drinking water. Approximately 39% of drinking water in NI is abstracted from natural lakes and new lake sources have been identified to meet increasing demand into the next century. Many lakes also support ecological habitats and species of national and international importance.
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Some of these uses can threaten the water quality of the lakes on which they depend. As with rivers, pollution in the surrounding catchment can come from point sources such as industrial discharges, or from diffuse sources such as road or agricultural run-off. The retention of pollutants in lakes increases the potential for adverse ecological impacts. Lakes vary spatially due to their complex hydrology and they cannot necessarily be treated as uniform bodies of water. |
It is important that lakes are protected from pollution and managed as a sustainable resource for all of the activities that depend on their water and consequent ecological quality.
Most national and international studies on lakes have focused on specific problems such as eutrophication and acidification. Other studies have been targeted as ecological components for conservation purposes. Locally, studies such as the Northern Ireland Lakes Survey and monitoring of the eutrophication status of the larger lakes by the Agricultural and Environmental Science Division (AESD) of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, have greatly advanced our understanding of the impacts on these water bodies and their associated ecology. The future focus for lake monitoring in NI will, however, to comply with the European Commission (EC) Water Framework Directive, which will encompass all of these issues.
Further Information
Managing the Water Environment in Northern Ireland 2000(.PDF 2.38Mb)
