New wetlands identified in Galway complete the Map of Irish Wetlands!

Upload of the new Galway wetland map means that work on the Map of Irish Wetlands has been completed after 3 years voluntary research work by Peter Foss and Patrick Crushell. This is the first time that a total wetland data set has been created and made publicly available showing all wetlands in Ireland, both protected and those located outside of designated sites. The first complete draft of the Map of Irish Wetlands displays a total of 12,623 wetland sites across the country.

The final element of the project to map Ireland's wetlands, involved undertaking a preliminary mapping survey of all wetlands (both known and potential wetland sites) in County Galway. The results from this mapping exercise has just been completed and the results uploaded to the Map of Irish Wetlands. 

Not surprisingly, a significant number of additional wetlands have been observed in county Galway, bringing the wetland sites recorded in the county to a total of 1164. 

The wetland sites mapped in Galway are those which have been reported in wide range of published sources, and previously unknown sites located through an aerial photographic analysis combined with sub soils data. 

Prior to this research project 202 wetland sites had been identified within the county, including many large blanket bog sites in the west of the county. This mapping project has located an additional 962 wetland sites throughout the county (many in the eastern half of the county), bringing the total number to sites identified in county Galway to 1164. Wetlands included on the map are areas of raised and blanket bog, fen, swamp, wet woodland, ponds, lakes, rivers and coastal wetlands.

The majority of the “new” sites identified have limited associated information on the wetland habitats that are likely to occur on the sites. County wetland surveys are required to address this information deficit.

The Map of Irish Wetlands now displays a total of 12,623 sites.