Freshwater Lochs and Rivers
The freshwater lochs and rivers of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park contribute greatly to the scenic quality of the area and form an integral part of its special qualities.There are 22 larger lochs, numerous smaller lochs and lochans, and approximately 50 rivers and larger burns with many more smaller burns. The larger lochs occupy an estimated 6.5% of the Park area.The freshwaters of the National Park are a valuable economic, recreational and environmental resource.
Recreational fishing for pike and other coarse fish takes place on the lochs, many of which are also important salmon and trout fisheries. A number of the larger lochs are used for drinking water supply and to store water to generate hydro-electric power for people across central Scotland. The breathtaking freshwaters of the National Park are well renowned, providing a variety of recreational activities, both on and around the water.
Habitats associated with both the lochs and the rivers include peatlands, grasslands, open water, seasonally inundated foreshores, fens and reed swamps. This series of interlinked freshwater systems creates an exceptional variety of habitats for both animal and plant species to live.
Natural Heritage Value
Loch Lomond’s natural heritage is unique in terms of the wide variety and combination of fish species present. There are nineteen species of freshwater fish including the larger of only two natural populations of powan in Scotland; Loch Eck holds the other powan population. Other fish species of particular note in the Park are various populations of lampreys, Arctic charr, Atlantic salmon and brown and sea trout.These fish have to share their freshwater habitat with various birds and mammals including otters, Greenland white-fronted geese and the elusive and beautiful red-throated and black-throated diver.
The freshwaters of the National Park provide an invaluable nature conservation resource with some lochs providing a habitat for nationally scarce water plants, including, thread rush, the least water lily and the slender naiad. Loch Lomond is the largest area of freshwater in Britain and provides one of the most important sites in the UK for species of lichens which grow at the edges of lakes. It is also the only place the Scottish ( Loch Lomond) dock can be found.
The freshwater lochs and rivers of the National Park are a vital part of our landscape and provide a diverse range of habitats for an extraordinary variety of mammals, birds, fish and plant species in which to live.