Restoration of Wet Woodland Habitat

Killycolpy and Killywoolaghan

Lough Neagh Partnership took on the lease of Killycolpy and Killywoolaghan from NIEA in 2020 and since then we have been working towards restoring these sites to favourable status. Killywoolaghan is a good example of wet woodland habitat transitioning into swamp at the Lakeshore edge. Killywoolaghan was originally purchased by NIEA as a good example of a Purple Moor grass habitat however it also includes fen and swamp.

In 2021 commissioned Fieldfare Ecology to prepare a Management Plan for the site. Since then and in line with key recommendations within the report, Lough Neagh Partnership secured funding under the Challenge Fund to install stock- proof fencing around the perimeter of the Killycolpy site. Further fencing was undertaken in 2023 to divide the site into manageable units. Other improvements have included the installation of a new cattle crush, water connection and drinkers as well as access improvements to the far end of Woodside Road. In 2024 we came to an arrangement with a neighbouring landowner to introduce cattle onto the site and great progress has beenmade grazing down the site which had not been grazed for c. 20 years. Hopefully, with continued grazing and further management such as scrub clearance we can help to restore this important lakeshore habitat.

If you would like further information about this project, contact peter.harper@loughneaghpartnership.org

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