For Special Protection Areas (SPA),
Proposed Sites for Community Importance (pSCI),
Sites of Community Importance (SCI) and
for Special Areas of Conservation (SAC)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• 1. SITE IDENTIFICATION
• 2. SITE LOCATION
• 3. ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION
• 4. SITE DESCRIPTION
• 5. SITE PROTECTION STATUS
• 6. SITE MANAGEMENT
• 7. MAP OF THE SITE

1. SITE IDENTIFICATION

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1.1 Type

B

1.2 Site code

IE0002117

1.3 Site name

Lough Coy SAC

1.4 First Compilation date

1996-10

1.5 Update date

2021-10

1.6 Respondent:

Name/Organisation:	National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
Address:
Email:	datadelivery@chg.gov.ie

1.7 Site indication and designation / classification dates

Date site proposed as SCI:	1997-11
Date site confirmed as SCI:	No information provided
Date site designated as SAC:	No information provided
National legal reference of SAC designation:	No information provided

2. SITE LOCATION

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2.1 Site-centre location [decimal degrees]:

Longitude:	-8.764451
Latitude:	53.110756

2.2 Area [ha]

77.3999

2.3 Marine area [%]

0.0000

2.4 Sitelength [km] (optional):

No information provided

2.5 Administrative region code and name

NUTS level 2 code	Region Name
IE01	Border, Midland and Western

2.6 Biogeographical Region(s)

Atlantic

(0.00 %)

3. ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION

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3.1 Habitat types present on the site and assessment for them

Annex I Habitat types						Site assessment
Code	PF	NP	Cover [ha]	Cave [number]	Data quality	A|B|C|D	A|B|C
						Representativity	Relative Surface	Conservation	Global
3180			40.5872	0.00	G	A	C	A	A

• PF: for the habitat types that can have a non-priority as well as a priority form (6210, 7130, 9430) enter "X" in the column PF to indicate the priority form.
• NP: in case that a habitat type no longer exists in the site enter: x (optional)
• Cover: decimal values can be entered
• Caves: for habitat types 8310, 8330 (caves) enter the number of caves if estimated surface is not available.
• Data quality: G = 'Good' (e.g. based on surveys); M = 'Moderate' (e.g. based on partial data with some extrapolation); P = 'Poor' (e.g. rough estimation)

3.2 Species referred to in Article 4 of Directive 2009/147/EC and listed in Annex II of Directive 92/43/EEC and site evaluation for them

Species					Population in the site						Site assessment
G	Code	Scientific Name	S	NP	T	Size		Unit	Cat.	D.qual.	A|B|C|D	A|B|C
						Min	Max				Pop.	Con.	Iso.	Glo.
B	A052	Anas crecca			w	283	283	i		G	C	B	C	B
B	A050	Anas penelope			w	285	285	i		G	C	B	C	B
B	A059	Aythya ferina			w	45	45	i		G	C	B	C	C
B	A149	Calidris alpina			w	120	120	i		G	C	B	C	C
B	A038	Cygnus cygnus			w	78	78	i		G	C	B	C	B
B	A160	Numenius arquata			w	80	80	i		G	C	B	C	C
B	A142	Vanellus vanellus			w	300	300	i		G	C	B	C	C

• Group: A = Amphibians, B = Birds, F = Fish, I = Invertebrates, M = Mammals, P = Plants, R = Reptiles
• S: in case that the data on species are sensitive and therefore have to be blocked for any public access enter: yes
• NP: in case that a species is no longer present in the site enter: x (optional)
• Type: p = permanent, r = reproducing, c = concentration, w = wintering (for plant and non-migratory species use permanent)
• Unit: i = individuals, p = pairs or other units according to the Standard list of population units and codes in accordance with Article 12 and 17 reporting (see reference portal)
• Abundance categories (Cat.): C = common, R = rare, V = very rare, P = present - to fill if data are deficient (DD) or in addition to population size information
• Data quality: G = 'Good' (e.g. based on surveys); M = 'Moderate' (e.g. based on partial data with some extrapolation); P = 'Poor' (e.g. rough estimation); VP = 'Very poor' (use this category only, if not even a rough estimation of the population size can be made, in this case the fields for population size can remain empty, but the field "Abundance categories" has to be filled in)

3.3 Other important species of flora and fauna (optional)

Species					Population in the site				Motivation
Group	CODE	Scientific Name	S	NP	Size		Unit	Cat.	Species Annex		Other categories
					Min	Max		C|R|V|P	IV	V	A	B	C	D
P		Limosella aquatica						P			X
P		Riccia cavernosa						P						X
P		Rorippa islandica						P			X
P		Viola persicifolia						P			X

• Group: A = Amphibians, B = Birds, F = Fish, Fu = Fungi, I = Invertebrates, L = Lichens, M = Mammals, P = Plants, R = Reptiles
• CODE: for Birds, Annex IV and V species the code as provided in the reference portal should be used in addition to the scientific name
• S: in case that the data on species are sensitive and therefore have to be blocked for any public access enter: yes
• NP: in case that a species is no longer present in the site enter: x (optional)
• Unit: i = individuals, p = pairs or other units according to the standard list of population units and codes in accordance with Article 12 and 17 reporting, (see reference portal)
• Cat.: Abundance categories: C = common, R = rare, V = very rare, P = present
• Motivation categories: IV, V: Annex Species (Habitats Directive), A: National Red List data; B: Endemics; C: International Conventions; D: other reasons

4. SITE DESCRIPTION

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4.1 General site character

Habitat class	% Cover
N06	74.00
N08	10.00
N14	15.00
N23	1.00
Total Habitat Cover	100

Other Site Characteristics

Lough Coy occupies an oval basin in the limestone just west of the Gort-Loughrea road. It is a turlough with a permanent central lake which reduces in area during the summer. The immediate catchment of Lough Coy is very small and the turlough would seem to be fed almost solely by water from Peterswell turlough to the north and its feeding river. A main swallowhole occurs in the north-western corner of the basin. At times of low water, extensive mudflats are exposed at Lough Coy on which a distinctive annual vegetation develops. The sides of the basin are closely grazed though there are numerous rocks and a little scrub. At high water levels some water escapes southwards where it joins a small permanent flow from Ballynabucky. The southern sector has further swallow holes and the area is characterised by small stands of wetland vegetation often on peat over marl. Areas of improved grassland are included in the site for hydrological reasons.

4.2 Quality and importance

The site is an excellent example of a eutrophic turlough exposed to a large volume of water over the winter season and a considerable fluctuation in level. Vegetation zonation is well developed and a number of rare plants occur. The site is in a natural condition and there is little outside influence on the habitat apart from grazing and a little gravel removal. The site is one of several turloughs in the area used by wintering waterfowl, including Cygnus cygnus and an inland flock of Calidris alpina. Usage varies according to water levels.

4.3 Threats, pressures and activities with impacts on the site

The most important impacts and activities with high effect on the site

4.4 Ownership (optional)

No information provided

4.5 Documentation (optional)

Good, J.A. and Butler, F.T. (2001). Turlough pastures as a habitat for staphylinidae and carabidae (Coleoptera) in south-east Galway and north Clare, Ireland. Bulletin of the Irish Biogeographical Society 25:74-94.Jennings O'Donovan & Partners and Southern Water Global (1997). An Investigation of the Flooding Problems in the Gort-Ardrahan Area of South Galway. Volumes 1 & 2. Unpublished report prepared for the Office of Public works, Dublin.Madden, B. and Heery, S. (1999). Census of Wintering Wetland Birds in South Galway (Gort-Ardrahan Catchment) Winter (1998/1999). Unpublished report prepared for Dúchas the Heritage Service, Dublin.MacGowran, B. (1985). Phytosociological and Ecological Studies on Turloughs in the West of Ireland. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, University College, Galway.An Investigation of the Flooding Problems in the Gort-Ardrahan Area of South Galway. Final Report to the OPW, Dublin, 1997.

5. SITE PROTECTION STATUS

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6. SITE MANAGEMENT

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6.1 Body(ies) responsible for the site management:

No information provided

6.2 Management Plan(s):

An actual management plan does exist:

	Yes
	No, but in preparation
X	No

6.3 Conservation measures (optional)

No information provided

 

7. MAP OF THE SITE

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INSPIRE ID:	IE.NPWS.PS.NATURA2000.SAC.IE0002117
Map delivered as PDF in electronic format (optional)
Yes X No

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SITE DISPLAY