252 THE FEESH-WATER LOCHS OF SCOTLAND 
situated two miles east of Cowdenbeath, and close to the village of 
Lochgelly. The loch is surrounded by low hills, except on the west 
side, where the country is quite open as far as Cowdenbeath. The 
district around is of the agricultural type, with a few acres of rough, 
boggy pasture at the west end of the loch, which was probably a 
portion of its bottom at a former period. The margins of this 
shallow loch are so gently inclined that only in a few places can 
a boat be brought within 20 feet of the shore. The surrounding 
land at the north and east slopes gently towards the water, and is 
covered with a fine, close grass sward, about which there are a few 
large deciduous trees. This meadow-land gives place near the 
water's edge to a narrow shore of dirty sand or gravel, with a few 
larger stones ; but except for a few sparse patches of Littorella 
lacustris, etc., there is no vegetation on these shores. The west shore 
consists chiefly of a Phragmites swamp, behind which there is 
a considerable area of boggy pasture, as previously mentioned. 
At the north-west corner, however, the bog is occupied by species 
of Carex, etc. The south shore has a zone of marsh throughout 
its length, immediately behind which there is a narrow plantation 
of conifers, mixed here and there, on the damper spots, with 
alders, poplars, willows, etc. For several years this loch was 
used as the common receptacle for the sewage of the populous 
mining district around. The inflowing burn at the west end was then 
an evil-smelling open sewer 6 or 8 feet wide ; consequently the 
water of the loch was extremely foul. The local sanitary authorities, 
however, became enlightened regarding, the danger of this mode 
of sewage disposal, and forthwith adopted a more modern method. 
Meanwhile certain colliery owners found in the affluent a convenient 
means of disposing of their mine water, as well as the waste from 
coal- washing machinery, so that now the burn resembles a stream of 
ink, and the loch is being silted up with a deposit of coal dust. The 
influence of such filthy additions is seen over the whole of the loch, 
particularly at the west end, where the deep, black mud has an 
insufferable odour. When the loch received the sewage, the water 
had a turbid, unwholesome appearance, and was everywhere crowded 
with plankton organisms, besides which all objects about the shores 
were covered with filamentous Algae, chiefly Cladophora fracta, whilst 
there were innumerable floating masses of Enteromorpha intestinalis 
and Cladophora flavescens. Now the water is black and dead-looking, 
and the Algae have considerably diminished, especially the Cladophorae, 
whilst everything is covered with black filth. The marginal vegeta- 
tion previously mentioned is luxuriant, although somewhat restricted 
in variety, but the submersed plants are scarce, which is not surprising 
when one considers the vicissitudes through which the loch has passed. 
