Catchments.ie changes: chemistry data downloads
The latest update to catchments.ie has made chemistry data downloadable. These downloads are available for every subcatchment and water body […]
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Articles by category
Catchments.ie changes: new Water Map
This week we’ve upgraded the catchments.ie maps, and have added many new features and layers. The maps have lots of […]
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Citizen science online: learning to identify Ireland’s Dragonflies and Damselflies
Dragonflies and damselflies are beautiful creatures. Their presence near freshwater can provide a useful indicator of water quality. Dave Wall, […]
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Floodplains: a natural system to preserve and restore
The preservation and restoration of Europe’s largely degraded floodplains must be better prioritised according to the European Environment Agency report […]
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Catch Crops – improving soil structure and water infiltration, and reducing nitrate and soil loss
Catch crops are grown between successive cereal crops to help protect the soil and reduce the losses of nutrients and […]
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Ireland’s Blanket Bogs – more dynamic than meets the eye
Raymond Flynn and Michael Anderson from Queen’s University Belfast’s explain how Ireland’s blanket bogs are affected by the hydrology of […]
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Mending a ragged blanket bog: room for improvement?
Raymond Flynn and Francis Mackin from Queens University Belfast tell us about how their research is helping us understand the […]
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Source to Tap – emerging evidence of the scale of the MCPA pesticide problem in cross-border Irish catchments
Source to Tap are monitoring water quality in the River Derg to gauge the impact of grants given to farmers […]
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Natural Water Retention Measures – implementing the Flood Risk Management Plans
Conor Galvin from the OPW tells us about how Natural Water Retention Measures can deliver multiple environmental benefits for habitats, […]
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The marl crusts of Lough Carra
The Lough Carra Catchment Association has supported the publication of ‘The Marl Crusts of Lough Cara’ by Philip Doddy. This […]
Read MoreWho is involved?
Quite simply, everyone in Ireland has a role to play. This can be from something as simple as making sure you don’t pollute your local stream, or a local community working together to establish a Rivers Trust to enhance the rivers and lakes in their area, to a Government Department or Agency helping a Minister implement a new policy to help protect and enhance all our water bodies.
This website has been developed and is maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency, and is a collaboration between the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Local Authority Waters Programme.
Local Authority Waters Programme
The Local Authority Waters Programme coordinates the efforts of local authorities and other public bodies in the implementation of the River Basin Management Plan, and supports local community and stakeholder involvement in managing our natural waters, for everyone’s benefit.
Environmental Protection Agency
The EPA is responsible for coordinating the monitoring, assessment and reporting on the status of our 4,842 water bodies, looking at trends and changes, determining which waterbodies are at risk and what could be causing this, and drafting environmental objectives for each.
Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
The Department is responsible for making sure that the right policies, regulations and resources are in place to implement the Water Framework Directive, and developing a River Basin Management Plan and Programme of Measures to protect and restore our waters.