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 Survey 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.