Leitrim’s Wetlands

Celebrating County Leitrim's Wetland Wealth

Wetland is a collective term for ecosystems (habitats and their species) whose formation has been influenced by water, and whose processes, characteristics and associated plants and animal are largely controlled by water.

Due to the varying topography, geology, hydrology, climate, and soils present, County Leitrim has wetland habitats ranging from raised and blanket bogs, fens, marshes, rivers and associated floodplains, lakes, springs, turloughs, and wet woodlands.

In 2019 Leitrim County Council commissioned the County Leitrim Wetland Study which aimed to map all wetland areas in the county. This study found that larger lakes, blanket bog and wet heath areas dominated the northern half of the county, with smaller raised bogs and other discrete wetland sites occurring more frequently in the southern half. It is estimated that 23.5% of county Leitrim is covered in wetlands with a total surface area of approximately 375km2.

The full Leitrim Wetland Report (2019) can be viewed here. 

Leitrim's Wetland Wealth Story Map can be viewed here. 

Ecological field surveys were carried out by Wetlands Survey Ireland on some of the Wetland habitats in Co. Leitrim in 2021, 2023 and 2024. The final reports are available to view at the links below. 

Wetlands Survey 2021 .pdf (size 18.1 MB) 

Wetlands Survey 2023 .pdf (size 43.1 MB) 

Wetlands Survey 2024.pdf (size 43 MB)

The project is an action of the County Leitrim Heritage Plan 2020-2025 and has been funded by Leitrim County Council and NPWS through the Local Biodiversity Action Fund