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Hydrology Summary Bulletin – May 2024

The EPA has published the Hydrology Summary Bulletin for May 2024 outlining the flows in rivers, rainfall, lake levels and turlough levels, groundwater levels and spring outflows of over 300 stations across Ireland.

In May 2024, Rainfall was below average in most places, wettest in the South and north Midlands. Rainfall patterns were variable; some areas received a lot of rain in short intense bursts, especially the South and parts of the Midlands, while other areas stayed mostly dry with sunny spells at times. The month finished showery as low pressure pulled away and high pressure built from the west.

The monthly average river flows for May decreased when compared to April. 57% of river flows were in the long-term normal range for this month, while 47% of the lake and turlough monitoring stations observed levels above the long-term normal range.

Average monthly groundwater levels decreased compared to the previous month; however, 69% of the wells recorded levels above the long-term average for May.

Out of the six spring flows monitored, two were in the ‘above normal’ range and one was classified as being ‘particularly high’.

Learn more:

www.epa.ie/publications/monitoring–assessment/freshwater–marine/hydrology-bulletin/hydrology-bulletin/hydrology-summary-bulletin—may-2024.php

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EPA Catchments Unit

Administrator

The EPA Catchments Unit is based in Dublin, and the team is involved with catchment science, chemistry, ecology, hydromorphology, modelling, Geographic Information Systems and planning. We work with the wider EPA, all of our local authorities, the Local Authority Waters and Communities Office, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, and other public bodies and Departments to ensure we have the best available data and information about our catchments.

Who 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.