Cloonee Lough

Cloonee Lough
Locha Chluain Í (Irish)
Upper Cloonee Lough
Location in Ireland
Location	County Kerry
Coordinates	51.8183°N 9.7221°W / 51.8183; -9.7221
Catchment area	27.02 km^2 (10.4 sq mi)
Basin countries	Ireland
Surface area	0.71 km^2 (0.27 sq mi) (middle Cloonee Lough)
Surface elevation	26 m (85 ft) (middle Cloonee Lough)
References	[1]

Cloonee Lough, or the Cloonee Loughs (Irish: Locha Chluain Í),[2] is a system of three freshwater lakes in County Kerry, Ireland, consisting of upper Cloonee Lough, middle Cloonee Lough and lower Cloonee Lough.

Geography and hydrology

The Cloonee Loughs are about 8 kilometres (5 mi) south of Kenmare on the Beara Peninsula.[3] The lakes are oligotrophic. Upper Cloonee Lough is fed by the Ameen River from Inchiquin Lough. Lower Cloonee Lough is connected to the middle and upper lakes by the Beal-na-Shannin River and drains into the Kenmare River estuary via the Cloonee River.[4]

Natural history

Fish species in the Cloonee Loughs include Arctic char,[4] brown trout, sea trout and sometimes young Atlantic salmon (grilse).[3] The Cloonee Loughs are part of the Cloonee and Inchiquin Loughs, Uragh Wood Special Area of Conservation.[4]

See also

• List of loughs in Ireland

References

1. "A Reference Based Typology and Ecological Assessment System for Irish Lakes" (PDF). Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland). 2006. p. 10. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
2. "Locha Chluain Í/Cloonee Loughs". Placenames Database of Ireland (logainm.ie). Archived from the original on 19 October 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
3. "Angling Cloonee System". Discover Ireland. Archived from the original on 19 October 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
4. "Cloonee and Inchiquin Loughs, Uragh Wood SAC". National Parks and Wildlife Service (Ireland). Archived from the original on 19 October 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.