Table 2 SWMI Water Matters

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Table 2SWMI Water Matters

• Topics
• 1 Physical Modifications
• 2 Agriculture
• 3 Local issues

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Physical modifications

• Background
• Water supply, navigation, shipping, flood
  protection, hydropower and land drainage
• 95,000 culverts and bridges
• 900 km of river flood embankments
• 19 large reservoirs
• 10 large ports
• 200 km of coastal defences
• Impact on waters
• Direct impact on habitat drained rivers loss
  of spawning habitat, physical barriers
  obstacles to migration, hard structures loss of
  habitat
• Indirect impact on natural processes (flow or
  silt movements) land drainage, over-grazing,
  cattle access, de-forestation
• Protected areas (bathing and shellfish waters,
  protected habitats/wildlife)

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Physical modifications

• Existing controls
• Statutory roles OPW arterial drainage, DCMNR
  coastal defences
• Planning and development act Local authorities
• Foreshore act disposal of dredge spoil permits
  DCMNR
• Fishing and aquaculture Marine Institute,
  Fisheries Boards etc.
• Are existing controls adequate to meet WFD
  objectives ?
• No single comprehensive control system for
  surface water modifications
• Registration and authorisation system is needed
• New monitoring programmes required to identify
  impacts and sites requiring restoration

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Physical modifications

• What additional controls are proposed?
• New regulations for prior authorisation
  (licensing regime) or registration systems are
  being considered
• Linkage to flood risk management plans under
  proposed Floods Directive
• Studies underway to
• Identify key pressures
• Design monitoring techniques
• Provide guidance on construction techniques,
  SuDS, restoration schemes
• Electronic decision support system for regulators
• Stakeholders affected Developers operators
  proposing engineered modifications to surface
  waters

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Morphology Overall
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Fieldwork to determine impacts
Gabions
Culvert
Channelisation
Weir
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Agriculture

• Background
• Two-thirds of Irelands land area - 90
• grassland 10 tillage
• 6 of workforce
• 8 of total added value
• Beef, milk and sheep main exports 1.3 lu/ha
  average stocking density
• Intensification of farm systems, less farmers,
  larger herd sizes, intensive agricultural
  enterprises
• Impact on waters
• Enrichment of waters nutrients
• Organic pollution animal manure, silage and
  slurry
• Also dangerous substances eg pesticides, oils
• Protected areas (bathing and shellfish waters,
  protected habitats/wildlife)

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Agriculture

• Existing controls
• European reform single farm payments / cross
  compliance DoAg lead controls
• Good agricultural practice regulations Nitrates
  Action Programme (NAP) and mini catchment
  programmes
• REPS
• Grant schemes for manure management (storage and
  spreading)
• Also Water Acts, Phosphorus Regulations (Bye-laws
  etc) Local authority role
• IPPC licenses intensive agricultural
  enterprises EPA role
• Are existing controls adequate to meet WFD
  objectives ?
• Controls are adequate to protect most waters
  subject to enforcement

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Agriculture

• What additional controls are proposed?
• NAP will be reviewed in 2009 to ensure water
  quality improvements
• Control and reporting of farm nutrient surplus
  (animal numbers, feedstuff and chemical
  fertilizers)
• Observed reduction in animal numbers and
  fertilizer sales
• Digestor schemes possible solution in intensive
  areas
• Studies underway
• Representative mini-catchments
• Monitoring effectiveness of national programme
• Stakeholders affected Agricultural sector
  principally farmers

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Agriculture PressureEPA Diffuse Model
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Agriculture

• Developing a Monitoring Programme to Identify and
  Monitor Impacts
• Rapid Water Quality Risk Assessment using SSRS
• Prioritise catchments to focus measure on
• Focus Farm Surveys in these priority catchments

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Agriculture
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Table 2SWMI Water Matters

• Local Issues Topics
• 1 Alien Species
• 2 Cruising Activities
• Peatlands
• Protection of High Status Sites
• Shared Waters

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Alien Species

• Invasive non-native plants or animals
• Damage natural flora and fauna and may pose a
  treat to the diversity of native plants and
  animals
• EPA identified Dace and Zebra Mussels as invasive
  alien species in the Shannon District.
• Lough Derg Study (2005-2006) identified several
  invasive alien plant species e.g. Nuttalls
  pondweed, water violet, duckweed and Canadian
  pondweed. Also, nematode parasite of the
  freshwater water eel.
• Management plans will be prepared for the 10
  highest-risk alien species already here, and will
  detail exclusion strategies, review monitoring
  programmes and raise public awareness.

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Local Issues Alien Species
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Dreissena polymorpha(zebra mussel)

• Arrived in 1993/4
• Ecosystem altered
• Impacts on ecology and human activities
• Will remain and spread elsewhere

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• Elodea nuttallii flowers in the late summer

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Nuttalls pondweed2005-2006 Lough Derg Survey


2006
2005
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Boating and Cruising Activities

• Important recreation and tourism activities on
  Shannon waterway and Shannon-Erne navigation
• Localised water quality issues due to discharge
  of sewage, oil spillages and physical disturbance
  by boat wakes
• Waterways Ireland and Local Authorities are
  working together to improve pump-out facilities
  for boat in terms of availability and
  maintenance.
• Bye-laws have been implemented to restrict the
  speed of boats along the Shannon navigation
  system.

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Peatlands

• Peat extraction is an important industry in the
  Shannon District
• Private enterprises use peat for home fuel and
  for use in gardening and these activities are
  unregulated
• Industrial excavation by Bord na Móna mainly used
  for fuelling power stations and is regulated by
  the EPA. Environmental controls such as peat
  silt traps are in places on Bord na Móna bogs.
• Peat extraction can give rise to localised water
  quality issues such as silt and nutrient release
  from milled areas
• EPA will review and enforce IPPC licence and
  Local Authority should target private extraction
  in catchments with water quality issues
• Targeted peatlands survey showed that
  rehabilitation of cut-away peatlands by
  constructing wetlands is effective at reducing
  water quality issues.
• Drainage from peatlands has naturally high levels
  of Ammonium

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Peatlands
Peat Excavation by Bord na Móna
Private Peat Enterprise
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Shared Waters

• The Shannon catchment includes a small area of
  Northern Ireland and is therefore an
  International River Basin District
• Water management under WFD is to be co-ordinated
  on basis of natural catchment rather than legal
  boundaries
• Organisations in ROI and NI developing
  coordinated approaches to water management
• Cross boundary waters (shared waters) mapped and
  their pressures identified.
• Common approach is desired for setting water
  quality standards and in placing environmental
  controls
• Action plans will involve collaboration by all
  authorities on the Island
• Both jurisdictions committed to continued
  cooperation in implementing the Directive

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Protection of High Status Sites

• Surface waters (rivers, lakes, estuarine and
  coastal) at natural or pristine conditions.
• Protected areas under legislation because they
  are important for drinking water, bathing,
  shellfish and habitats
• Number of these sites are gradually declining and
  Objective is to prevent any further deterioration

Some of these sites contain unique and sensitive
wildlife National Parks and Wildlife Services
(NPWS) are leading the work in protecting these
sites. Management plan will include more
stringent controls on land use in and around
these high status sites