Bathing Water Profile - Portarthur, (2016)

Bathing Water: Portarthur, Derrybeg Bathing Water Code: IENWBWC160_0000_0100 Local Authority: County Council River Basin District: North Western Monitoring Point: 179962E, 428121N

1. Profile Details:

Profile Id: BWPR00342 Toilets Available: No Year Of Profile: 2016 Car Parking Available: Yes Year Of Identification 1994 Disabled Access: No Version Number: 1 First Aid Available: No Sensitive Area: Yes Dogs Allowed: Yes Lifesaving Facilities: No

Figure 1: Bathing Water 2. Bathing Water Details:

Map 1: Bathing Water Location & Extent

Bathing Water location and Portarthur Beach is located to the West of , approximately 7km South of Bloody Foreland, on extent: the West coast of . The beach is situated in a rural area and not directly beside any towns or villages; with the nearest villages being Derrybeg (5km) or (6km). It is located in the Northwestern Atlantic Seaboard Coastal waterbody (NW_100_0000) within the North Western River Basin District. The designated bathing area is approx. 0.225km2 and the extent along the water is approximately is 1070m

Main features of the Bathing Type of Bathing Water: Portarthur beach consists of a long sandy beach; confined by a rocky outcrop Water: east of Island to the North and a small estuary to the south. The beach faces west onto the Atlantic Ocean and get a relatively strong wash of water onto the beach but is protected to an extent by the network of small islands in the area.

Flora/Fauna, Riparian Zone:The beach and catchment make up only a small area. The riparian zone is natural with some scattered on off housing development in the catchment. Fixed dunes are frequent throughout the site, with one of the best examples occurring at Lunniagh, behind Portarthur Beach. The habitat is normally found behind the embryonic and/or Marram dunes and can reach a height of 20 metres or more. Important species of the habitat include Red Fescue (Festuca rubra), Lady’s Bedstraw (Galium verum), Marram (Ammophila arenaria), Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis), Burnet Rose (Rosa pimpinellifolia), Bird’s-foot Trefoik (Lotus corniculatus), Wild Carrot (Daucus carota) and Wild Thyme (Thymus praecox). The most frequent and conspicuous bryophytes are Tortula ruraliformis, Homalothecium lutescens and Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus. At least three separate populations of the Red Data book plant species Draba incana have been recorded growing in this habitat within the last five years.

Another unusual species associated with the habitat is the diminutive fern, Moonwort (Botrychium lunaria), a nationally scarce plant species. Fixed dunes with heath vegetation, including a specific type with Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum), is a feature of the site. This habitat has developed on thin, well-drained sandy soils often with outcropping rock, along the contact zone between dune grassland and coastal heath. At certain sites the habitats have developed in areas where sand is blown up onto coastal heath by strong onshore winds. This mixing of sand and peat soils result in the co-occurrence of dune grassland species. Areas of dry heath are common along the exposed rocky shores of this site, which are not dominated by sand dunes or related habitats. Typically, areas of heath occur interspersed between rocks outcrops and patches of acid grassland vegetation, however occasionally the habitat may occur as a mosaic with dune grassland, giving rise to a species-rich mixture of plant species.

Due in part to the number of islands in the area, the site is frequently used by breeding seabirds (Common Gull, Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Tern, Arctic Tern). Cormorant, Shag and Storm Petrel also use some of the islands in the area. Barnacle Geese winter on islands in the bay, with more than 300 individuals recorded in some years. Choughs are also found in many areas of the site. Nationally important numbers of Long-tailed Duck and Great Northern Diver occur inInishfreeBay, Main features of the Bathing Water:

south ofPortarthurBeach. The site has important populations of breeding waders including, Oystercatchers, Ringed Plovers, Lapwing, Dunlin and Redshank. Several of the bird species that use the site are listed on Annex I of the EU Birds Directive, i.e. Barnacle Goose, Chough, Great Northern Diver, Storm Petrel and the Tern species, and, as such, are of particular significance.

Water Depth: There is a deep gradient offPortarthurBeach with the water depth reaching 1m approx 10m from the water line and continuing out at a deep slope.

Tidal Range: The water line within the designated area is approximately 1070 meters. Tidal ranges are in the mesotidal range (2-4m) in normal tidal conditions.

Land Use: Land use immediately surrounding the designated bathing area consists of sand dunes, pastures and bog. One road leads down to the small pier at the beach and some on off housing is situated along the road and main artery to the area. There is no town in the catchment.

Local Sites of Interest: Portarthur is situated approx. 5km from Derrybeg and 6km from Bunbeg. The beach is situated in a area with a variety of islands off the coast. The area is great for boating and many dive clubs come to the area for the spectacular dives around the islands and off the West Coast in the crystal clear water. A ferry leaves from Bunbeg to go toToryIsland. There are a variety of hotels in the area with swimming pools or spas associated to them. There’s a 9 hole golf course outside Derrybeg and a number of lakes used for fishing in the area.

Additional Information:Portarthur Beach receives the Green Coast Award from An Taisce. This is a symbol of excellence, which recognises; excellent water quality, high environmental standards, good management and community involvement.Green Coast beaches are ideal for those wishing to enjoy a beach experience far removed from the intrusions normally associated with the traditional and more urban seaside beaches.

Activities available at the Facilities: Limited parking is available at the pier, for all other facilities Derrybeg and Bunbeg (5km & 6km) Bathing Water: have shops, pubs, hotels, toilets, banks, restaurants, etc. Other facilities are also present at Carrickfinn Blue Flag Beach (beside , 16km drive) such as a larger car park, toilets (seasonal), information boards, though Carrickfinn Beach operates a system of Pack It In, Pack It Out (PIIPIO) which does not provide refuse or recycling facilities; recycling facilities can be found at Molloy’s Supermarket in Derrybeg.

Visitor Numbers: Visitor numbers to the beach vary throughout the season. The maximum number of visitors to the beach during a high season day has been estimated at approximately 300 people with a large proportion if users using the beach for walking and other for boating activities. Throughout the season approximately 5,000 people have been estimated to visit the beach. Visitor numbers are representative of the visitors observed by the water quality samplers and from local information.

Activities: Activities at Portarthur beach include swimming, kayaking, boating, sailing, power boating, jet skiing, diving and other land based activities on the beach. The area is prominent locally for walkers.

Contributing catchment Portarthur Beach is located in a remote, rural area in the West of Gweedore. The beach is situated facing details: West looking out into the Atlantic Ocean. The beach itself has a small catchment area running off the surrounding area and hill to the shore.

Contributing Catchment: The contributing catchment of the designated bathing area for Portarthur Beach is approximately 4.964km2 in area.

Water Bodies draining to Bathing Area:

There are two small, unnamed stream flows through the catchment and flows out into a small bay to the south east of the beach. All the water from this small catchment enters the Coastal Waterbody Code NW_160_000, which is classified as having high status.

Land Cover and Land Use:

Topography: The catchment consists of a small area of mainly low-lying land. There is one road leading down to the north end of the beach from the secondary road R257. The catchment directly behind the beach is mainly sand dunes with a line of on off housing along the main road.

Land Use: Beaches, dunes and sand make up 36% of the catchment, with a further 24% and 22% being made up of complex cultivation and pastures respectively. Peat bogs make up a 16% with the remainder being made up of small fractions (>2%).

Soils, Subsoils, Bedrock: The catchment bedrock is 100%Thorr Granite. The main soil types for the catchment area are Aeolian undifferentiated soil (37%) and blanket peat (36%) with surfaceeater/groundwater gleys making up another 20%. The subsoil consists of Blown Sand in Dunes (37%), blanket peat (36%) and granite till (23%). Contributing catchment details:

Formal Designations: PortarthurBeach catchment is located within 3 areas of formal designation including Gweedore Bay And Islands proposed National Heritage Area (pNHA) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC) (Code 001141) and the West Donegal Coast Special Protection Area (SPA) (Code 004150). The And Inishmeane SPA (Code 004131) is situated to the northwest of the beach.

Population Centres: PortarthurBeach is in a rural area with the population consisting mostly of on-off scattered rural housing with a population of 568 in the catchment area (CSO, 2011). This population increases slightly during the summer tourist season.

Rainfall: The closest weather station to the designated beach is at Weather Station at Finner (IG 842 606), which is approximately 60km as the crow flies from the beach. During the bathing water season (2013-2015), the average rainfall (mm) for May, June, July, August and September is 113.6, 58.9, 79.6, 103.6 and 45.7 respectively. Details of the rainfall data can be obtained through www.met.ie

Monitoring point details: The monitoring point for this bathing water is located at the grid reference point IB 799 281.

Reason for selection of the The location of the bathing water monitoring point is the location where most bathers are expected to use monitoring point: the bathing water. This area can vary somewhat on this beach depending on tidal and weather influences.

Water quality assessment: The bathing water quality monitoring carried out at Portrthur Beach since 2003 has shown consistently good water quality at all times. From the 2010 bathing season, Portarthur Beach has achieved good water quality status and complied with the EU guide and mandatory values as set out in the Bathing Water Directive (2006/76/EC) and the Quality of Bathing Water Regulations, 2008 (S.I. 79 OF 2008).

In the four year assessment period from 2012 to 2015, the current classification for this bathing water is Excellent Quality. The 95%ile classification of E. coli and Enterococci are 39.9 and 34.7 respectively. The Portarthur Beach bathing water will qualify for a Green Coast Award in 2016 based on water quality. 3. Identified Pressures:

Map 2: Bathing Water Catchment

3.1 Potential pressures in the catchment assessed as posing no risk:

Description: Bird faeces can affect bathing water as it contains high levels of bacteria (much higher than treated human waste).

Source: Seabirds Type: Bird colony Short Term Pressure: No

Description: There are a significant number of individual houses located throughout the catchment, which all presumably have some form of on-site effluent treatment system. Source: On Site Waste Water Treatment Type: Septic Tank Short Term Pressure: No

Description: Approximately 22% of the catchment is pastures. No intensive agricultural activities are taking place within the catchment. The catchment area is predominantly aeolian undifferentiated soil (37%) and blanket peat (35%) with mixed drainage capacity. Source: Agriculture Type: Run off from agricultural land Short Term Pressure: No 3.2 Potential pressures in the catchment assessed as posing risk:

Description: Heavy rainfall carries an added risk of pollution from surface runoff. Source: Rainfall Type: Rainwater discharges Short Term Pressure: Yes Nature: Low Risk Frequency: <1/month Duration: < 48 hours Risk Assessment The bathing water vulnerability for short term pollution (STP) events has been examined. The beach Methodology: has been assessed to incorporate the small size of the catchment, the absence of surface water inflows to the beach, and the historical water quality monitoring data over a 10 year period from 2004 to 2013. The STP event was calculated in conjunction with the Information Note on Short Term Pollution (STP) Events specified in the 2008 Bathing Water Quality Regulations (SI No. 79 of 2008) by the OEA Bathing Water Unit 17 May 2013. Risk Assessment Rainfall is not expected to affect the bathing water quality unless there is >20mm of rain in 24hours. Results: Details: Pollution risk is linked to weather systems and rainfall data

Management If heavy rain is anticipated, warning notices will be erected on the beach together with incident Measures: notification to the EPA. The public will be informed of the risk, likely duration and nature of the short term pollution, displayed on the beach notice boards.

After a STP event, a sample shall be taken to confirm that the event has passed; if microbiological analysis shows that no contamination was detected, then the event is not considered to be a STP. If necessary, a replacement sample can be taken in accordance with Regulation 7(4), Schedule 2 of S.I. No. 79 of 2008. If the predicted rainfall does not arrive, the warning notices will be taken down.

In the event that bathing water quality is found to be unsatisfactory, the public will be advised of this by way of public notices at the beach and through the lifeguards until the quality has improved to satisfactory standards.

3.3 Other Risks:

Assessment of the potential for proliferation There has been no known incident of cyanobacteria impacting on the Donegal coastline or it’s of cyanobacteria: marine environment. An event of this kind is considered to be extremely unlikely.

Proposed management measures for Nutrient management would be examined in the potential pressures and risk assessments carried cyanobacteria: out on the catchment to calculate and reduce the potential risks. In the event of a problem with cyanobacteria, samples would be taken to determine the levels of chlorophyll. Depending on the concentration found, bathing conditions would be considered in relation to calm weather without surface wave actions lasting for 24 hours or longer and temporary risk signs would be erected for the duration of the climatic conditions. In the instance of high levels of chlorophyll, bathing would be prohibited, signage would be erected for the duration of the bloom and regular sampling and analysis would take place.

Assessment of the potential for proliferation Portarthur Beach is located on the West coast of Donegal with strong North Atlantic wave action of macroalgae: and the continued monitoring of the beach indicates that there are no significant problems with macroalgae on this beach.

Proposed management measures for In the event of a large volume of macroalgae being washed ashore, it would be left for natural macroalgae: dispersion with the tides if it were not causing a nuisance or health concern. If macroalgae deposits became an issue, it would be removed and disposed of by the local authority.

Assessment of the potential for proliferation Marine phytoplankton bloom events have occurred on beaches in County Donegal though non of marine phytoplankton: have been recorded at Portarthur Beach. The previous incidents have occurred when algal blooms have washed into the Bay and have taken 2-4 days to disperse. Proposed management measures for marine If algal blooms develop offshore and their movement can be monitored, attention will be paid to phytoplankton: prevailing winds in the case of the bloom being driven onshore. This will allow for the situation to be monitored closely and action taken accordingly or if necessary. In a serious case in the bathing area, the bloom would be sampled to identify the dominant bloom species. The beach would be closed to the public after consultation with the local authority laboratory and public health professionals. Signage would be erected at access points with an explanation for the closure. Public co-operation would be greatly encouraged.

Additional Information: Information in relation to the quality of the water at each of the 21 designated bathing waters in County Donegal along with their compliance history is available on the EPA’s Bathing Water Website ‘Splash’ available at www.bathingwater.ie.

For information on Blue Flag Beaches please visit www.antaisce.ie.

Information on the Environmental Protection Agency and the work they undertake is available on the EPA website at www.epa.ie.

The Marine Institute is the national agency responsible for Marine Research, Technology Development and Innovation and information is available at www.marine.ie.

For information on Donegal County Council and its services please visit www.donegalcoco.ie.

4 Bathing Water Status From Previous Sampling Years:

2012 2013 2014 2015 Portarthur, Derrybeg Good Quality Good Quality Excellent Excellent Quality Quality

5 Contact Details:

Contact: Donegal County Council Email: [email protected] Address: Central Laboratory, The Kube, Magheranan, , Co. Donegal Phone: 074 9122787