Turlough (lake)

A turlough (turloch or turlach in Irish[1]) is a seasonal or periodic water body found mostly in limestone karst areas of Ireland, west of the River Shannon.

Only three turloughs have been identified in Northern Ireland, namely Roosky, Green, and Fardrum Loughs located near Ely Lodge Forest in County Fermanagh.

In areas where limestone is at the surface, with very little soil cover, water will drain underground through these cracks rather than running off overground through river and stream systems.

However, a recent study using multivariate analysis of a wide range of variables characterizing the water bodies shows that there are no distinct types, but rather a continuum from wet to dry.

In Ireland, the deepest part is characterised by aquatic and semi-aquatic plants such as Chara, Ranunculus, Potamogeton, Littorella uniflora, Polygonum amphibium and Mentha aquatica.

The organisms commonly found in them have adapted various survival strategies, such as aerial adult forms, production of desiccation-resistant resting stages, and amphibious lifestyles.

[14] Other Cladocera common in turloughs include Alona affinis, Alonella excisa, Chydorus sphaericus, Eurycercus lamellatus and Simocephalus vetulus.

A number of beetles that are rare or absent elsewhere in Ireland can be found in turloughs, such as Hygrotus quinquelineatus, Coelambus impressopunctatus, Graptodytes bilineatus, Agabus labiatus, and A.