Catchment Assessment Team Who are we? Where are we going? Why are - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Catchment Assessment Team

• Who are we?
• Where are we going?
• Why are we here?
• What will we be doing?
• When will we be doing it?

PAA’s are listed in The River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2018 - 2021

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• 46 catchments in the country.
• 5 Regional Catchment

Characterisation workshops in 2017.

• Built on EPA evidence.
• All 31 LAs involved.
• Relevant public agencies

involved.

• Expert local knowledge and

discussion.

• 190 Priority Areas for Action

(PAA’s) identified.

Who are we?

• Catchment Assessment

team

• 35 scientists
• Working on behalf of

Local Authorities

South West Team

Maeve Ryan

David Hegarty

Jim Johnson Paul O’Callaghan Mary Barrett Áine Donnellan Mairéad Shore

Cork Office (Inniscarra) Limerick Office (Merchant’s Quay)

Environmental Scientists, Freshwater Biologist, Soil Scientist, Agricultural Scientists

Where will we be working?

In 50 rivers and lakes in Cork, Clare, Kerry and Limerick Awbeg (Buttevant) (West) is a Priority Area for Action

Where will we be working?

Awbeg (Buttevant) (West)_010 Awbeg (Buttevant) (West)_020

Water Quality

• Rivers and lakes are notionally divided into

waterbodies for monitoring and reporting purposes

• Under WFD, all waterbodies must reach at

least “Good” ecological status (or “High”, in some cases) by 2021 or 2027

• EPA Q Value - 5 point scale from High down to

Bad status, based on

– biology and chemistry

Acceptable Un- acceptable

Why are we here?

Why?

• Water quality has dropped

from Good to Poor in Awbeg (Buttevant) (West)_010 in 2015

• No chemistry data is

available for this waterbody (sediment?, nutrients?)

• Water quality is at Poor

status in Awbeg (Buttevant) (West)_020 since 2012

• Excess nutrient levels

(nitrate, phosphate and ammonia) as well as sedimentation identified

Awbeg (Buttevant) (West) Priority Area for Action

Awbeg (Buttevant) (West)_010 Awbeg (Buttevant) (West)_020

What will we be doing?

Working to identify the reasons for the poor water quality:

• Kick sampling upstream and downstream of potential pressures
• Checking stream conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen.
• Collaborating with others to find solutions

Kick Sampling

We take a kick sample to look at the insect types in the river

• Aquatic invertebrates (insects, snails, worms etc.) can be

used as indicators of pollution

• Different types have different levels of pollution tolerance

– Some are very sensitive to pollution (eg mayfly) while

• thers are tolerant
• Looking at the balance of invertebrate types inhabiting the

river enables us to calculate a water quality score Other pollution indicators include excessive algae growing in the stream (can be a sign of elevated nutrients)

Kick Sampling

• Programme is funded up to December 2021
• Awbeg (Buttevant) (West):

▪ Now to Autumn 2019 ▪ Look at all pressures

• Return to monitor improvements up to 2021

When?

Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme

• Free, confidential

service

• Supported by DAFM,

DHPLG, Dairy Sustainability Ireland

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ASSAP Contacts

• Darren Deasy – North Cork Co-op
• Terry O’Mahony - Kerry Group
• Aoife Feeney – Carbery Co-op
• Ciara Donovan - Dairygold
• Eimear Connery – Teagasc Mallow
• Lane Giles – Teagasc Clonakilty
• Pádraig Fitzgerald – Teagasc Kilmallock
• Kevin O’Sullivan – Teagasc Killarney
• Paul Mullins – Teagasc Ennis

Key: Collaboration

by working together we will achieve more

Maeve Ryan LAWPRO Catchments Manager South West Region mryan@lawaters.ie 085 8025273

Contact Details

Eimear Connery ASSAP Teagasc Advisor North Cork eimear.connery@teagasc.ie 087 9053198 Kieran Murphy LAWPRO Community Water Officer, Cork kmurphy@lawaters.ie 085 8083059 Ciara Donovan Dairygold cdonovan@dairygold.ie 086 7930863 Terry O’Mahony Kerry Agribusiness terry.omahony@kerry.com 087 9662093

Thank you

Any Questions?

www.watersandcommunities.ie