Every six years, Ireland prepares a River Basin Management Plan.…
Catchments Newsletter – sharing science and stories. Summer 2024.
The Summer 2024 Catchments Newsletter is now available. This issue includes articles on the EPA’s 2023 Water Quality Indicators report and the 2024 EPA Water Conference. There are also updates on significant pressures, third cycle Catchment Assessments, and guides to accessing information on water quality.
We also have inspiring stories from people and projects around Ireland who are working to protect and improve water quality, and the wonderful photos that won LAWPRO’s 2024 ‘My Favourite Waterbody’ competition.
In this issue:
Waters and Communities News: Winners of LAWPRO’s ‘My Favourite Waterbody’ photography competition; Lough Masks’ Arctic Char mosaic; East Corrib Alliance restore their river; Restoring Drummin Bog in Carlow; Cabragh Wetlands Trust restoring semi-natural floodplains; Slaney workshop on a catchment community forum; Middleton GAA club use the Green Club Water Action Fund; LAWPRO’s Community Water Development Fund and Catchment Support Fund.
Articles: The Water Action Plan 2024; Water Quality in 2023 – an indicators report; watch the 2024 EPA Water Conference Online; EPA update on the Significant Pressures impacting water quality; updated Catchment Assessments and master spreadsheet available; ESRI research on farmers knowledge, attitudes and intentions towards water quality; New map EPA available on Targeting Agricultural Measures; the Farming for Water EIP, including a willow bed case study; Waters of Life – trialling water quality solutions; national implementation strategy for nature-based solutions; Water Forum educational modules for schools; FarmPEAT – working with farmers on midlands raised bogs; An Taisce launch The Irish Pond Manual; and finally, a discussion piece on drained peaty soils.
Editorial
The EPA published Water Quality in 2023: an indicators report in June 2024. There are no signs yet of an improvement in water quality, and more action is needed from all sectors. 34% of waterbodies are at risk of not meeting their quality objectives because of human activities. Agriculture remains the most significant pressure on water quality.
In this issue you can read about the EPA’s recent Water Conference, where we launched the latest 2023 Water Indicators Report. The EPA has updated its 46 Catchment Assessments and Significant Pressure sectoral assessments and launched a new dedicated online map for ‘Targeting Agricultural Measures’ – sharing EPA science to help get the right measure in the right place. We’ve also included a story on some recent ESRI research that gauged farmers’ willingness to mitigate the risks of water pollution in line with ASSAP advice.
The Water Action Plan 2024 – a river basin management plan for Ireland
The Third Cycle Water Action Plan 2024: a river basin management plan for Ireland was approved by government in late July 2024, and will be published in September. Our natural water systems are at substantial risk from such issues as increasing nutrient pollution, physical modifications, and urban pollution, all while our water systems are becoming more vulnerable due to changing weather patterns. The Water Action Plan sets out a roadmap to restore Ireland’s waterbodies to the equivalent of ‘good status’ or better and to protect water from any further deterioration.
People and Projects – working together for water quality
People all around the country are working together to protect and improve water quality – you can read stories about this in the Waters and Communities section and see the wonderful photos that won LAWPRO’s recent ‘My favourite waterbody’ competition, which were also on the cover of this issue. You can also learn about the Community Water Development Fund and how your local group can apply for funding.
We have stories from Waters of Life, the Farming for Water European Innovation Project, and FarmPeat, who are working with farmers to get the right measure in the right place to help protect and improve water quality, and also about the launch of a national implementation strategy for nature-based solutions.
An Taisce recently released a guide to creating a pond, one of the best actions you can take for freshwater biodiversity. You can see the poster they created in the middle pages of this issue.
An Fóram Uisce have launched educational resources on water, including a guide to using the catchments.ie digital maps; while aimed at schools, these resources are useful for anyone who wants to learn about water.
Finally, we have a discussion piece on drained peaty soils, and how these valuable assets can be protected now and into the future.
Jenny Deakin and Paddy Morris, Editors
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