Rinn Lough

Rinn Lough (Irish: Claonloch, also Irish: Loch na Reanna),^[1] also known as Lough Rynn, is a freshwater lake in the northwest of Ireland. It is located in south County Leitrim.

Rinn Lough
Claonloch (Irish)
Walled gardens of Lough Rynn Castle from far side of the lake
Location in Ireland
Location	County Leitrim
Coordinates	53°53′3″N 7°50′52″W
Primary inflows	Cloone River
Primary outflows	River Rinn
Catchment area	178.06 km2 (68.7 sq mi)
Basin countries	Ireland
Max. length	4 km (2.5 mi)
Max. width	0.7 km (0.4 mi)
Surface area	1.65 km2 (0.64 sq mi)
Surface elevation	39 m (128 ft)
Islands	6
Settlements	Mohill
References	[1][2][3]

Geography

Rinn Lough measures about 4 km (2.5 mi) long and 1 km (0.6 mi) wide. It is located about 4 km (2 mi) south of Mohill. Lough Rynn Castle, a medieval castle now a hotel, occupies an estate on the lake's northeastern shore.^[2]

Hydrology

Two smaller neighbouring lakes drain into Rinn Lough: Clooncoc Lough and Lough Errew. Rinn Lough drains south into the Rinn River flowing into Lough Forbes. Part of the river forms the Rinn River Natural Heritage Area.^[2][4]

Ecology

The water quality was reported to be satisfactory c. 2001 – c. 2006 maintaining a mesotrophic rating.^{[5][6][n 1]} but given a "bad ecological status" c. 2007 – c. 2009 due to pollution.^[8] Zebra mussel infestation is present.^[6] The ecology of Rinn Lough, and Irish waterways, remains threatened by curly waterweed, zebra mussel, and freshwater clam invasive species.^[9][10]

See also

• List of loughs in Ireland

References and notes

Notes

1. Trophic states of "Oligotrophic" and "Mesotrophic" are desirable, but freshwater lakes rated 'Eutrophic' or 'Hypertrophic' indicates pollution.^[7]

Primary sources

1. "Claonloch/Rinn Lough". Placenames Database of Ireland. Government of Ireland - Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
2. "Rinn Lough" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
3. Free, Gary; Little, Ruth; Tierney, Deirdre; Donnelly, Karol & Caroni, Rossana (2006). A Reference Based Typology and Ecological Assessment System for Irish Lakes (PDF) (Report). Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland). p. 13. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
4. "Rinn River NHA" (PDF). National Parks and Wildlife Service (Ireland). Retrieved 28 December 2015.
5. Clenaghan, Clinton & Crowe 2005, pp. 97.
6. EPA 2010, pp. 80.
7. Clenaghan, Clinton & Crowe 2005, pp. 8.
8. EPA 2010, pp. 7, 84.
9. Pedreschi et al. 2014.
10. Clenaghan, Clinton & Crowe 2005, pp. 16.

Secondary sources

• Clenaghan, Conor; Clinton, Frank; Crowe, Matthew (2005). Phosphorus Regulations National Implementation Report (PDF) (Report). Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental Enforcement.
• Pedreschi, D.; Kelly-Quinn, M.; Caffrey, J; O'Grady, M.; Mariani, S.; Phillimore, A. (2014), "Genetic structure of pike (Esox lucius) reveals a complex and previously unrecognized colonization history of Ireland", Journal of Biogeography, 41 (3), Journal of Biogeography, 41(3), 548–560.: 548–560, doi:10.1111/jbi.12220, PMC 4238397, PMID 25435649
• EPA (2010). Martin McGarrigle; John Lucey; Micheál Ó Cinnéide (eds.). Water Quality in Ireland 2007-2009 (PDF) (Report). EPA, Aquatic Environment Office of Environmental Assessment.