Lough Formal ASSI

Lough Formal is a mid-altitude lake generally surrounded by hill slopes.  It is a special place because of its aquatic flora and fauna, which is dependent on unpolluted water and low levels of plant nutrients. The lake margin is diverse ranging from boulder and rock to gravel, cobble and sand.

Submerged beds of Shoreweed, Water Lobelia and Quillwort are abundant in a typical zonation across the rocky shallows, while a large stand of floating leaved plants dominates the south east corner of the lough, primarily formed by Broad-leaved Pondweed with small patches of Floating Bur-reed scattered around the margin.

Other submerged and floating leaved species found in the lake include Common Water-moss, Alternate-flowered Water-milfoil, Red Pondweed and Perfoliate Pondweed.

In the margins surrounding most of the lough, stands of Bottle Sedge predominate, occasionally fronted by localised clumps of Common Club-rush.

Two limestone hills dominate the western shore, whose steep, thinly soiled, rock slopes support species-rich limestone grassland with Blue Moor-grass, Wild Thyme, Bird’s-foot Trefoil and Lady’s Bedstraw.  Around the bottom of the hills and the lough foreshore wet heath vegetation covers a peat substrate.

One of the most important conservation features of the lough is the population of Arctic Char it supports.  This is only the second known location for this salmonid in Northern Ireland.