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 • 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. 3

Who are we? • Catchment Assessment team • 35 scientists • Working on behalf of Local Authorities

South West Team Maeve Ryan Cork Office Limerick Office (Inniscarra) (Merchant’s Quay) Jim Mary David Paul Áine Mairéad Hegarty O’Callaghan Donnellan Shore Johnson Barrett 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)_020 Awbeg (Buttevant) (West)_010

Why are we here? Water Quality • Rivers and lakes are notionally divided into Acceptable 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 Un- • EPA Q Value - 5 point scale from High down to acceptable Bad status, based on – biology and chemistry

Awbeg (Buttevant) (West) Priority Why? Area for Action • Water quality has dropped from Good to Poor in Awbeg (Buttevant) (West)_010 in 2015 • No chemistry data is Awbeg (Buttevant) (West)_020 available for this Awbeg (Buttevant) (West)_010 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

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 others 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

When? • 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

Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme • Free, confidential service • Supported by DAFM, DHPLG, Dairy Sustainability Ireland 14

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

Contact Details Maeve Ryan Kieran Murphy Terry O’Mahony LAWPRO Catchments Manager LAWPRO Community Water Officer, Kerry Agribusiness South West Region Cork mryan@lawaters.ie terry.omahony@kerry.com kmurphy@lawaters.ie 085 8083059 085 8025273 087 9662093 Eimear Connery Ciara Donovan ASSAP Teagasc Advisor Dairygold North Cork cdonovan@dairygold.ie eimear.connery@teagasc.ie 086 7930863 087 9053198

Thank you Any Questions? www.watersandcommunities.ie