Wexford's Wetland Wealth
A story map introducing the rich variety of wetlands that occur in Wexford and why we should value these wild places
What are Wetlands
Wetlands are unique habitats that are strongly influenced by and dependant on water.
Wetlands can be defined as areas where the water table is at or near the surface, permanently, or on a seasonal basis.
Wetlands can be natural (e.g. marsh) or artificial (e.g. quarry pond) and can also range from freshwater (e.g. rivers), to brackish waters (e.g. estuaries), to marine (e.g. rocky shore).
Some common wetland habitats found in Wexford include estuaries, lagoons, salt marsh, rivers, lakes, ponds, bogs, fens, wet grasslands, and various types of wet woodlands.
Wetlands are unique habitats that are home to a large number of uniquely adapted plants, ferns, mosses, and animal species including water birds, otter, frogs, newts, and a vast array of insects and other invertebrates - in fact, wetlands are one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth!
The plants and animals that live in wetlands are uniquely adapted to be able to cope with living in wet conditions, and many of the species that live in wetlands cannot be found in other habitats.
A selection of some plants and animals, that can be found in wetlands. You will learn more about some of these species in the sections which follow or the links to other information sources provided in this story map.
Why are wetlands important and why should we protect them?
In addition to the biodiversity value of wetlands, wetland habitats provide us with a variety of ecosystem services. Ecosystem services are things that are provided by nature to humans for free!
Some ecosystem services are essential to our everyday survival, like the provision of food and clean water...
While other ecosystem services make our lives more enjoyable, for example the amenity value of a specific area...
Some examples of ecosystem services provided by wetlands include:
- clean water
- food
- building materials
- fuel
- medicines
- soil formation
- nutrient cycling
- air quality regulation
- carbon storage (climate regulation)
- flood regulation
- cultural value
- amenity value
- benefits to human health and well being
- inspirational value
The photograph shows the constructed wetland at Ferns, used to clean municipal waste water from the town.
Why have wetlands disappeared?
Despite the importance of wetland habitats, they are disappearing at an alarming rate! Traditionally wetlands were seen as "unproductive" areas, which should be converted into different types of land use. It is estimated that wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests and 35% of wetland habitats were lost globally between 1970-2015. As previously mentioned, many of the plants and animals that live in wetlands are specially adapted to these habitats, however 25% of these unique plants and animals are currently at risk of extinction.
Drainage and afforestation of wetlands releases stored carbon in wetland soils into the atmosphere.
We often take wetland ecosystem services for granted, however as our habitats are under increasing threat, so are the ecosystem services that they provide us with. It is estimated that the biodiversity value of wetlands in Ireland is worth over €385 million per year, in addition to a further €330 million in nature and eco-tourism value. Unfortunately, the economic value of wetlands is often not fully appreciated until they have disappeared and need to be replaced.
It has been shown that conserving intact wetland ecosystems represents excellent value for money when compared with the cost of replacing the ecosystem services provided by wetlands with artificial systems.
The main threats facing wetland habitats are:
- Drainage
- Changes in land use
- Changes in water supply
- Infilling
- Dumping
- Eutrophication (increased nutrient levels, often as a result of run off from adjacent land)
- Invasive species
- Climate change
Infilling of wetlands impacts their ability to reduce the impacts of flood events and destroys wildlife habitat.
Wetlands in Wexford
County Wexford covers an area of 236,700ha. The county is bounded by Carlow, Kilkenny and Waterford to the west, Wicklow to the north and the Irish sea to the east and Celtic Sea to the south. County Wexford is a maritime county and is located in the 'sunny south-east' of Ireland, a name given due to its high amount of annual sunshine.
Wexford has a 120km long coastline which includes sandy beaches and larger estuaries and lagoons, many of which have been designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) for wetlands and species these areas support. These sites are recognised as being of national and international conservation value and include: Wexford Habour & Bay SAC; Bannow Bay SAC; Sandeel Bay; Barrow Estuary SAC, Tacumshin Lake SAC and Lady's Island Lake SAC (illustrated).
The main rivers flowing through the county, which mostly flow from the north to south, are the Barrow (SAC), Slaney (SAC) and tribuataries including the Corock, Owenduff and the Bann, while the Owenavoragh flows from west to east, entering the sea at Courtown. The River Barrow SAC forms the western boundary of County Wexford.
The northern two-thirds of County Wexford is underlain by rocks (slates, siltstones and volcanic rocks ) of Ordovician age (440-480 million years old), with some smaller areas of younger Lower Carboniferous limestone and older Cambrian deposits, with Granites occurring in the Blackstairs Mountains and South Wicklow Mountains.
Simplified geological map of Wexford (Copyright: Geological Survey of Ireland)
Since the ice age, coastal processes have both eroded the earlier glacial materials, and left complex ecosystems such as that around Tacumshin Lake, the Cahore Polders & Dunes and Lady’s Island Lake.
Wetland indicating subsoils shown in purple. Map copyright: NASA/JPL/NGA
Wetland indicating subsoils in County Wexford, include coastal and estuarine deposits, river and lake sediment deposits, and smaller upland peat areas in the Blackstairs Mountains and south Wicklow Uplands.
The County Wexford Wetland Survey
In 2022 Wexford County Council commissioned Wetland Surveys Ireland Ltd. to undertake a mapping and inventory project of all wetlands in the county. The wetland map shows the location of the 366 wetlands that have been identified in County Wexford.
Let's have a look at the most important wetland habitats that occur in Wexford, namely coastal wetlands, rivers and lakes including a relic from the ice age... namely pingos and kettle hole lakes.
Wexfords's Coastal Wetlands
A variety of coastal wetland types are found in County Wexford including saltmarsh, coastal lagoons, rocky shores, tidal rivers and inlets with mudflats, and dune slacks.
Sea pink or Armeria maritime one of the plants found in salt marsh and rocky costal areas
As these habitats occur at the interface of land and sea they often contain unique plant communities that are salt tolerant.
Coastal mudflats found in estuaries and lagoons are important feeding areas for many birds such as Teal
In addition, some of these habitats, like rocky shores and saltmarsh, are periodically covered and uncovered by sea water, resulting in unique plant and animal communities that can survive periods underwater and periods exposed to the air.
Little Egret one of the birds found feeding in coastal areas
Lagoons and saline lakes
Coastal lagoons are enclosed bodies of standing brackish water that are wholly or partially separated from the sea by banks of sand, shingle or rock, or by land barriers of rock or peat. Tidal influence is much reduced by these physical barriers or is totally absent.
Salinity (the salt content of the water) is highly variable both within and between different lagoonal systems. It fluctuates on a daily and seasonal basis, depending on tides and inputs of freshwater or salt water following storms and, in some situations, may exhibit the full range from sea water to freshwater conditions. Water levels in lagoons generally undergo seasonal fluctuations (high in winter and low in summer) unless strictly controlled by pumping. Strong water currents are absent and this is a key feature which distinguishes lagoons from other marine water bodies, such as estuaries.
Cotton weed or Othanthus maritimus one of the rare plants found in drier lagoon habitats in Wexford
The most damaging activity in lagoons has been deliberate drainage of the largest lagoon for agricultural reasons. The quality of the habitat has been impacted by water pollution in the form of excessive nutrient enrichment mostly from agricultural and domestic sources, but also due to an increase in urbanization, commercial and industrial activities adjacent to lagoons.
Examples of this habitat are known to occur in County Waterford at coastal sites such as Lady’s Island Lake SAC and Tacumshin Lake SAC (illustrated).
Salt marsh
Saltmarsh is divided into two main types: Lower salt marsh and Upper salt marsh.
Lower salt marsh is subject to more prolonged submersion by sea water and is more strongly saline than Upper salt marsh. As a result it is characterised by a predominance of halophytes, or salt-tolerant plants such as Glasswort, as in the picture below.
Glasswort or Salicornia
Upper salt marsh vegetation is typically dominated by rushes and Red Fescue. Creeping Bent grass may be locally abundant in more waterlogged areas. Upper salt marsh supports some species that also occur in lower salt marsh, but they tend to be more abundant. Plants such as Common Scurvygrass , Sea Aster and Sea Plantain are found here, while more freshwater plant species may also occur.
Hoverfly feeding on the nectar of Sea aster
Saltmarsh is under serious threat from a range of impacts including overgrazing, undergrazing, over-stabilisation of dunes, water abstraction and drainage, golf course developments, forestry and coastal protection works.
Saltmarsh habitat occurs at a number of coastal dune sites in the County Wexford, such as Ballyteige Marsh pNHA, Barrow Salt Meadows SAC and Tachumshin Lake SAC (illustrated).
Dune slacks
Dune slacks are nutrient-enriched wet areas that occur in hollows or depressions either behind or between dune ridges, or in blow-outs in sand dunes. The water table is either at, or close to the surface for much of the year and dune slacks may or may not dry out in summer.
Vegetation typically includes such plants as Creeping Willow, Common Reed, Sedges, Rushes and broadleaved wetland herbs. A range of orchids are also commonly found in dune slacks.
Creeping willow or Salix repens
This habitat is under serious threat from a range of impacts including overgrazing, undergrazing, over-stabilisation of dunes, invasive non-native species, water abstraction and drainage, golf course developments, agricultural intensification and forestry and coastal protection works.
The habitat occurs at a number of coastal dune sites in the County Wexford, such as Ballyteige Burrows SAC, Curracloe and Raven Point Nature Reserve.
Marsh Helleborine orchid or Epipactis palustris
Freshwater rivers and lakes
County Wexford has a range of freshwater wetland habitats ranging from wet heaths, fens, marshes, rivers and associated floodplains, lakes, springs, wet woodlands and estuaries.
Hairy willow herb or Epilobium hirsutum a plant found in many freshwater wetlands in Wexford
Lakes, lowland or depositing rivers, pasture land, and other wetlands typify Wexford's generally low-lying landscapes.
Eroding upland rivers, blanket bog, heathland and grassland habitats are more common in upland areas in the north western part of the county.
Colourful display of lichens found in bog and heathland habitats.
Rivers and their wetlands
The main rivers flowing through the county, which mostly flow from the north to south, are the Barrow, Slaney, Corock, Owenduff and the Bann, while the Owenavoragh flows from west to east, entering the sea at Courtown. The River Barrow forms the western boundary of County Wexford.
Banded demoiselle one of the species that inhabits slow flowing streams
Two main river types occur in Wexford. Eroding upland rivers are natural watercourses, that are actively eroding, unstable and where there is little or no deposition of fine sediment. Eroding conditions are typically associated with the upland parts of river systems where gradients are often steep, and water flow is fast and turbulent. Such rivers occur in the Blackstairs Mountains SAC.
Ling or Calluna vulgaris one of the species found in upland areas in County Wexford
The majority of rivers in Wexford are lowland depositing rivers, or sections of these, where fine sediments are deposited on the river bed. Depositing conditions are typical of lowland areas where gradients are low and water flow is slow and sluggish. These rivers vary in size but are usually larger and deeper. In a natural state these rivers erode their banks and meander across floodplains.
The habitats found along these rivers may include floating and submerged aquatic plants, with fringing reed swamp in shallow water or overgrowing the banks. Where rivers still retain a semi-natural margin wet woodland may occur.
Reedswamp on the River Barrow SAC at New Ross
Due to their location in lowland areas, where agricultural activities are common and with increased population pressures, most of these rivers have been modified to some extent to control water flow, facilitate navigation or prevent flooding and erosion. Canalised or walled sections of rivers, dredged or deepened sections, and artificial earth banks may occur. These activities all alter the natural river bank and adjacent wetland habitats occurring along such rivers.
Rock armature installed on the River Slaney SAC, with the invasive plant Himalayan Balsam present
Lakes and their wetlands
There are 222 sites recognised in the Wexford Wetland Survey that contain lakes as a wetland habitat, which include both natural lakes and lakes created by human activity.
Grey heron one of the species found on many ponds, lakes and rivers in Wexford
Many of the lakes in Wexford can be characterised as mesotrophic lakes and ponds that are moderately rich in nutrients, and where the water is sometimes discoloured by algae. Characteristic aquatic plants include White Water-lily, Yellow Water-lily, and a large number of Pondweeds, Stoneworts may also be present. The fringing and aquatic plant communities are typically more lush and include reed swamp with Bulrush, Reed Canary Grass and Common Reed. These lakes are important habitats for insect and birds.
Fen and wet willow scrub community at Boley Fen pNHA
Lakes usually also include a variety of adjacent wetland habitats including reed swamp, marsh, wet woodland and fen.
Wet woodland habitat on lakeshore
Artificial lakes include farm ponds, artificial or ornamental bodies of standing water that may be found in parks, demesnes, gardens or golf courses as well as flooded quarries, tailings ponds and water treatment plants (with open water). The nutrient status of these artificial water bodies is variable and may be high as in the case of hypertrophic lakes in urban parks.
The Common Frog one of the species that lives in smaller natural and artificial ponds
The principal threats to lakes include nutrient enrichment arising from agricultural practices such as overgrazing and excessive fertilisation, as well as afforestation, and waste water from housing developments in rural areas. Lakes may also be negatively affected by the introduction of invasive alien species, and their utilization for an increasing number of sport and leisure activities.
Kettle hole lakes and Pingos - relics of a colder time
A notable feature of the south eastern coastal plain in County Wexford is the abundance of small lakes and waterbodies located in a gently undulating hilly or kame landscape formed at the end of the last glaciation.
The lakes are known as kettle hole lakes and were formed at the end of the last glaciation, as a result of blocks of ice left behind by retreating glaciers. The ice becomes buried in the sediment washed out by glacial meltwater. When the ice block melts, a depression is left called a kettle hole, creating a dimpled appearance on the glacial outwash plain. After the kettle holes filled with water they support a variety of wetlands including lwet woodlands, reedswamp, marsh and fen.
Kettle hole lake with reed swamp at Barnariddery (Photograph copyright: Google Street View)
The image opposite shows an oblique landscape shot taken from Google Earth of the many kettle hole lakes and ponds near Curracloe, which in addition to open water habitats may also contain, reed swamp, fen, wet woodland and marsh habitats.
Pingos
At the end of the ice age, when the glaciers lay further north in the country than Wexford, but the county was still exceptionally cold with artic like conditions, unique features such as the pingos at Camaross were formed.
Modern day appearance of a bingo (Photograph copyright: zmescience.com)
Pingos are ice-cored hills formed in areas with permafrost. They can range in height from 3-70 m and 30-1000 m in diameter. They are typically conical in shape and grow and persist only in permafrost environments. As climate conditions in Ireland warmed after the glaciation, and the permafrost thawed, the ice within the pingos melted, which resulted in the pingo collapsing and forming wet depressions or lakes.
Pingo at Camros with marsh vegetation (Photograph: Wexford Geological Audit 2018; GSI)
Wetlands to visit in Wexford
There are a number of wetland sites to visit and enjoy in County Wexford with a range of visitor facilities which are listed here.
In addition there are many coastal and freshwater wetlands that you can visit such as at Cahore, Kilgorman, Ballteige Burrow, Wexford Harbour, Tacumshin and Bannow Bay or on the River Barrow and River Slaney.
Remember enjoy and explore wetlands without altering or damaging them (leave no trace)
Lady's Island Lake SAC SPA
Lady's Island Lake is a large (350ha) natural sedimentary percolating lagoon, separated from the sea by a sand and gravel barrier and dunes. The site provides a habitat to many species of plants and birds and is a designated Special Area of Conservation and Special Protection Area under the EU Habitats & Birds Directives. A pilgrimage path runs around the headland at Our Lady's Island village which provides view over the lagoon and surrounding reed swamps.
Parking, walking path.
Johnstown Castle Lakes
The Johnstown Castle estate covers approximately 400ha of which 250ha are farmland, the balance being forestry, parkland, and ornamental lakes.
Free parking, picnic area, walled garden, walking paths, Irish Agricultural Museum & cafe.
Further information: https://johnstowncastle.ie
Wexford Wildfowl Reserve
Wexford Wildfowl Reserve is divided between the natural estuarine habitats of Wexford Harbour, the reclaimed polders known as the North and South Slobs, and the tidal section of the River Slaney. Wexford Wildfowl Reserve is jointly owned and managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and BirdWatch Ireland. Over 250 bird species have been recorded on the reserve, many of them Winter migrants from Greenland and Arctic Canada or from Scandinavia and Arctic Russia.
Parking, bird observatory and visitor centre.
Further info: Wexford Wildfowl Reserve
Castletalbot Lake
Talbot Lake and Nature Walk is an attraction in Blackwater. Set on the grounds of a sprawling Georgian estate, the amenities include a 1.5km lakeside nature walk around a man-made lake with breathtaking scenery.
Parking, cafe kiosk, playground, walking paths, nature walk
Further info: www.facebook.com/TalbotLakeandNatureWalk
Ferrycarrig Heritage Park
The Irish National Heritage Park at Ferrycarrig is situated in 40 acres of reclaimed marshland on the banks of the River Slaney SAC. The main theme of the park is archaeological heritage. A great way to explore wetlands, including reed swamp, river, wet woodlands associated with our archaeological heritage.
The park now has 16 reconstructed sites for you to see and learn about, from the Dolmen to Fulacht Fiadh and the Crannog to Viking Ship.
Parking, walking paths, outdoor displays, cafe, guided tour, schools programmes, falconry
Further info: https://irishheritage.ie/experiences/
Carrigfoyle Lake
Carrigfoyle Lake is part of the Carrigfoyle Activity Centre, a popular site for people to visit. The site contains an artificial lake located in former quarry, surrounded by conifer woodland and exposed rock faces.
Access to the quarry is via forestry tracks and roads. Foot trails around the perimeter of the quarry can run close to the edge of steep and high quarry faces that overhang the artificial lake. Extreme care should be taken when approaching the quarry due to high ledges, loose material and deep water.
Car park, toilets, walking path
What can I do to help protect wetlands?
Some simple measures that you can all take to help protect wetland habitats are:
- Go peat free and only use peat free compost in your garden or make your own garden compost and never use peat! More Info: Be a Peat-free Gardener
- Talk to others about wetlands and spread awareness about how important they are (you could also use your social media accounts to spread information)
- Conserve water in your home (e.g. don't turn on the washing machine until its full, collect rainwater to water your garden)
- Avoid activities that involve altering, damaging, polluting or draining wetlands
- Join a local nature conservation group and help with habitat clean up or wetland restoration projects. More Info: National Spring Clean
- Join a local catchment group or your tidy town group
- Explore and enjoy wetlands and learn more about them
- You could go birdwatching on your local wetland. County Wexford boasts a wealth of birding habitats, find out more here: www.birdwatchireland.ie
- Submit sightings of plants and animals or invasive species you see on wetlands to the National Biodiversity Data Centre
- Support organisations that protect wetlands such the Irish Peatland Conservation Council, Birdwatch Ireland, Community Wetland Forum or a local community group
- Improve our knowledge of wetlands in County Wexford by submitting a photo of your local wetland to the Map of Irish Wetlands using this mobile app: WetlandSnapShot2
- And remember if you visit a wetland - enjoy and explore without altering or damaging it (leave no trace)
County Wexford Wetland Map
For more information on wetland sites in County Wexford, see the Map of Irish Wetlands below.
Improve our knowledge of wetlands in Wexford by submitting a photo of your local wetland to map of Irish Wetlands using the mobile app available at: WetlandSnapShot2
The Map of Irish Wetlands is an online mapping resource which provides information on the location and characteristics of all wetland sites in Ireland. www.bit.ly/MapofIrishWetlands
This project is being funded under the National Biodiversity Action Plan Fund, National Parks & Wildlife Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Wexford County Council. It is an action of the Wexford Biodiversity Action Plan 2013-2018 and Wexford County Development Plan Plan 2021-2027.
