User:Mrchris/The Loughans

The Loughans are Turloughs  situated approximately 3 km east of Urlingford, County Kilkenny in Republic of Ireland. Situated below the Slieve Ardagh Hill, the site is a candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC Site Code IE0000407).

The Loughans is the only large turlough in the south-east of the country, and the highest anywhere in Ireland.

Site
Situated in flat land, The Loughans is a  ''shallow basin surrounded by pasture land with low banks of calcareous drift extending out from the northern side. Some of these carry a species-rich heathy grassland with scattered bushes. There are two shallow ponds with aquatic plants but most of the floor dries out in summer and is grazed. Swallow holes occur in the SE corner and on the western side. The internal channels seem to have no real drainage effect''

Located in the Atlantic Biogeographical Region.

Legal
Designated to protect a Turloughs habitat, the site is a candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC Site Code IE0000407) selected for Turloughs, a habitat listed on Annex I of the European Union Habitats Directive(92/43/EEC).

Its designation protects specific species referred to in Article 4 of Directive 2009/147/EC and listed in Annex II of Directive 92/43/EEC, namely, Cygnus columbianus bewickii, Cygnus cygnus, Gallinago gallinago, Numenius arquata, Pluvialis apricaria, and Vanellus vanellus.

Transposed into Irish law in the European Union (Natural Habitats) Regulations, 1997. It is also a nationally proposed Natural Heritage Area.