Maximum support needed to reverse decline of Lough Carra

AT 4,000 acres, Lough Carra is Ireland's largest marl lake but it faces the threat of being 'finished' in 20 years due to pollution of its waters.

The stark warning came in an Eco Eye documentary about the lake, broadcast on RTÉ earlier this week.

And those concerns were reiterated by local councillor Al McDonnell at a meeting yesterday (Wednesday) when he said 'maximum support' of all stakeholders is now needed to reverse its decline.

In the programme, ecologist Dr. Cillian Roden warned the lake will be finished in 20 years' time if the amount of nutrients entering it is not halted.

That, Councillor McDonnell told a local area meeting, is 'quite disturbing'.

The programme, he said, had been beautifully presented and narrated, but, unfortunately, all the scientific evidence confirmed the physical observations of the past few years – that the lake is in serious decline.

The councillor said he had received a number of phone calls from people since the programme aired who did not realise how serious the situation was.

And he highlighted the fact that 3,000 people are drinking the water from the lake, and it flows into Lough Mask where an additional 60,000 people get their drinking water from.

Maximum support was needed from all stakeholders to try and reverse the situation, he said.