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There are many ways you can support our projects whether as an individual, group or business.
You can donate to the Lough Carra Catchment Association and support our work using the button below. All donations, no matter how large or small, go to support our work and 100% of your donation goes to support our projects and initiatives.
To explore more ways to support our work please visit our Support us page
The Lough Carra Catchment Association
The Lough Carra Catchment Association (LCCA) is a dedicated community group focused on the conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of Lough Carra and its catchment.
Established in 2018 as a Registered Charity and a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) in response to environmental concerns and the need for active stewardship, the LCCA has nine voluntary Directors and embodies the collective effort of local residents, environmentalists, and scientists who aim to protect this precious natural resource.
Lough Carra is the uppermost lake in the Carra/Mask/Corrib system that forms a major part of the “Great Western Lakes” of Ireland and that drains a huge catchment in the two counties of Mayo and Galway. Although relatively small compared to Loughs Mask and Corrib, Lough Carra’s 1,560 hectares (4,00 acres) is Ireland’s largest marl lake, and is the best example of a shallow, marl lake in Western Europe. Lough Carra is of enormous ecological and conservation importance and has over 70 islands and a ragged shoreline with a plethora of bays and promontories, all on a bedrock of limestone.
In 1968 Lough Carra became a Wildfowl Refuge and has since been designated as a Natural Heritage Area (NHA), Special Protection Area (SPA) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the European Habitats Directive.
The LCCA is volunteer-led and relies on funding from fundraising and partner organisations to support volunteers, fund consultants and external experts to delivery projects and initiatives that aim to achieve the central mission to:
“Restore, protect and conserve the ecological integrity of Lough Carra and its lakeshore habitats and to ensure the quality of drinking water from the lake”
We aim to achieve this central vision by:
- Raising awareness of the unique values of the lake and promoting the enjoyment of its environment by all sectors of society
- Promoting and encouraging truly sustainable and environmentally sensitive land use practices in the catchment;
- Seeking and promoting ways of reducing nutrient inputs into the lake from all sources, including agriculture, forestry and septic tanks; and
- Pursuing methods to prevent any form of pollution of the lake.
We are always seeking historical or new information to included on the website. Please email us at info@loughcarra.org if you have any articles, photos or other items of interest.