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Lough Neagh Lake, Craigavon, County Antrim

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Brief description

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lough_Neagh

"Lough Neagh (/lɒx ˈneɪ/ lokh NAY;[4] Irish: Loch nEathach [l̪ˠɔx ˈn̠ʲaha(x)])[5] is a freshwater lake in Northern Ireland and is the largest lake on the island of Ireland and in the British Isles. It has a surface area of 148 square miles (383 square kilometres)[6] and is about 19 miles (31 km) long and 9 miles (14 km) wide. According to Northern Ireland Water, it supplies 40.7% of Northern Ireland's drinking water. Its main inflows are the Upper River Bann and Blackwater, and its main outflow is the Lower Bann. There are several small islands, including Ram's Island, Coney Island and Derrywarragh Island. The lake bed is owned by the 12th Earl of Shaftesbury [7] and the lake is managed by Lough Neagh Partnership.[8] Its name comes from Irish Loch nEachach [ˌl̪ˠɔx ˈn̠ʲahəx], meaning "Eachaidh's lake".[9]

With an area of 148 square miles (383 km2), it is the British Isles' largest lake by area and is ranked 34th in the list of largest lakes of Europe.[citation needed] Located 20 miles (32 km) west of Belfast, it is about 19 miles (31 km) long and 9 miles (14 km) wide. It is very shallow around the margins and the average depth in the main body of the lake is about 30 feet (9 m), although at its deepest the lough is about 80 feet (24 m) deep.

According to Northern Ireland Water, Lough Neagh supplies 40.7% of Northern Ireland's drinking water.[22] There have long been plans to increase the amount of water drawn from the lough, through a new water treatment works at Hog Park Point, but these are yet to materialise. The lough's ownership by the 12th Earl of Shaftesbury has implications for planned changes to state-run domestic water services in Northern Ireland,[23] as the lough is also used as a sewage outfall, and this arrangement is only permissible through Crown immunity

Algal bloom crises

Lough Neagh underwent catastrophic cyanobacteria or blue green algae bloom events in the summer of 2023 and 2024 which reached international news channels.[41][42][43] This has led to numerous local community and environmental organization responses, such as a mock wake for the lake being held in protest and calls for drastic action to solve the problem.[44][45][46] The size of these algal blooms in Lough Neagh has allowed them to be visible from space. These algal blooms have the potential to have significant impacts on the lakes ecology due to the toxins they produce posing a serious risk to wildlife, including birds and fish, risking declines in populations and disrupting the food web.[47] In addition, the growth of the algal blooms depletes oxygen in the water which can cause fish kills.[47] There are also threats to human health from toxins and pathogens detected in the algal mats found in the lake.[47]

These harmful algal blooms have a number factors contributing to their occurrence in Lough Neagh. The foremost contributory factor is the eutrophication of the lake with nutrients like phosphorus and nitrates which have provided suitable conditions for the algae to thrive.[48] The lake has been classified as one of the world's most hyper-eutrophic water-bodies due to chronic eutrophication occurring over many years.[49][50] Key drivers of this eutrophication are increases in nitrates and phosphates in the lake which are generally attributed to runoff from agriculture in the form of animal slurry residue of chemical fertilizer in addition to human sewage.[51] Research has indicated that 62% of the phosphorus inputs are from agricultural origins, 24% are from wastewater treatment works and 12% are from septic tanks.[52]

A number of other environmental factors have contributed to the occurrence of the harmful algal blooms. Climate change has contributed to increasing summer temperatures of, and sunlight intensity on, the lake, creating more suitable conditions for rapid growth of harmful algal blooms. As the lake is relatively shallow with an average depth of 9m, its temperature can increase more rapidly than other deeper lakes, making it more susceptible to algal blooms.[53] The invasive zebra mussel mollusc species which has invaded the lake has resulted in the lake water having greater clarity and so penetration of light. The increase in light intensity deeper in the water column has increased the chance of harmful algal blooms occurring. The zebra mussel which is a filter feeder on phytoplankton in the lake, will selectively feed on existing phytoplankton species but not on the blue green algae, creating a lower ecological competition scenario for these algae.[53]

When the algal bloom crisis of 2023 occurred, the Northern Ireland Assembly was suspended and Northern Ireland had no functioning devolved government. The Social Democratic and Labour Party MLA Matthew O'Toole referred to the state of the lough as "a metaphor for the poisoned state of politics and governance in the North". After the Assembly and Executive were restored in February 2024, all major parties agreed that action was required to address the crisis, and by July 2024 an action plan proposed by the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, the Alliance Party's Andrew Muir had been agreed,[43][54] although some aspects of the plan had to be scaled back due to resistance from the Democratic Unionist Party.[43]

Some environmental activists have argued that the lough needs to be brought into community ownership and granted rights, inspired by the global rights of nature movement.[43][55][56]"

http://www.loughneaghrescue.co.uk/

Lough Neagh Rescue:
"Lough Neagh is the largest lake in the British Isles being approx 20 miles long and 9 miles wide. It is generally shallow with an average depth in the general body of the lough of 30′(9m) but very shallow round the margins of the lough. The lough is very exposed and in windy conditions it can become extremely rough very quickly. It is used extensively by a wide variety of recreational and commercial craft.

Lough Neagh Rescue began following the tragic drowning of David Gray jnr on the 4th July 1989 whilst on passage home from Ballyronan Marina with three friends. That night there was no lifeboat service to mount an effective search and rescue mission, although local people did manage to locate David,s three friends before they succumbed to the cold from having spent five hours in the water. The provision of a lifeboat service became David Gray senior’s mission, and to progress this he enlisted the help of the three men who assisted in the search for his son that night. For the next 20 years, and to this day they would help to construct the Lifeboat service that we have now."

Address

http://www.loughneaghrescue.co.uk/

Lough Neagh Rescue
Kinnego Bay
Lurgan
Co. Armagh
Northern Ireland
BT66 6NJ
Telephone : 028 38345121 (This number is unmanned, in an emergency dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.)

secretary@loughneaghrescue.co.uk