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Lower Shannon Catchment , B Ironmental Protection Agency Received Licensing 0 5 JUN 2008 w for the Initials R LOWER SHANNON CATCHMENT , B t . For inspection purposes only. Consent of copyright owner required for any other use. Clare County Council, Galway County Council, Limerick Corporation, b Limerick County Council, Tipperary (N.R.)County Council. .. .. ,I ... ... , EPA Export 26-07-2013:00:37:41 I Water Quality Management Plan for the LOWER SHANNON CATCHMENT 0 Prepared in accordance with Section 15 of the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act, 1977. For inspection purposes only. Consent of copyright owner required for any other use. P March 1990 Clare County Council, Galway County Council, Limerick Corporation, Limerick County Council, Tipperary (N.R.)County Council. EPA Export 26-07-2013:00:37:42 This document is based on Volume 1 of a five volume draft report prepared by An Foras Forbartha at the request of the local authorities involved. The titles of the five volumes, some of which are referred to in this document, are as follows: Vclume 1, Main Report Volume 2, Summary of Water Resources Volume 3, Abstractions and Discharges -. Volume 4, Beneficial Uses and Water Quality Criteria Volume 5, Water Quality , For inspection purposes only. Consent of copyright owner required for any other use. P EPA Export 26-07-2013:00:37:42 t CKN WLE DGEMENTS 1 I The assistance of the following during the investigations described in this report is gratefully acknowledged: the individual members of the Local authorities; the Midwest Regional Development Organisation; the Electricity Supply Board; the Office of 'Public Works; the Geological Survey Office; the Industrial Development Authority; the Institute for - Industrial Research and Standards (now EOLAS); Bord na Mona; Bord Failte; An Coinhairle OiLiuna Talmhaiochta and An Foras Taluntais (now amalgamated as Teagasc); the Central Statistics Office; the Departments of Agriculture Enviroqment and Fisheries and Forestry (now Marine); the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board snd also various boat hire organisations, angling clubs n and toiwism assoc:iations in the Catchment. Maps contained in this report are based on Ordnance Survey by permission n of the Government (O,S, Ref 3324) For inspection purposes only. Consent of copyright owner required for any other use. EPA Export 26-07-2013:00:37:42 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No List of Tables and Figures ... ... ... ... ... ... (xii) CHAPTER ONE GENERAL INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION ...... ... ... 1.. ... 1 THE CONCEPT OF WATER QUALITY MANAGEMFNT ... ... ... ... ... 2 OBJECTIVES OF THE WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN ... ... ..L ... ... 3 METHODOLOGY ADOPTED IN PREPARING DRAFT PLAN ...... ... ... ... ... 4 MAIN ELEMENTS OF DRAPT PW ... ... ... 5 SCOPE OF DRAFT PIAN ... ... ... ... ... 6 CHAPTER TWO THE LOWER SHANNON CATCHMENT -- INTRODUCTION ...... ... ... ... ... 7 THE LOWER SHANNON ... ... ... ... ... 7 RAINFALL ....... ... ... ... ... 11 . RESOURCES ...... ... ... ... ... 11 LOUGH DERG ...... ... ... ... f.. 15 HYDROGEOLOGY 0.. ...... ... ... .I. 15 POPULATION TRENDS ... ... ... .' 16 For inspection purposes only. ... Consent of copyright owner required for any other use. AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY ...... ... ... ... ... 17 FUTURE! INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ... ... ... 19 ADDITIONAL DATA REQUIREMENTS ... ... ... 19 CHAPTER THREE WATER QUALITY INTRODUCTION ...... ... ... ... ... 21 RIVERS AND STREAMS Quality Assessment: General ... ... ... 22 Quality Assessment: Biological ... ... 22 Quality Assessment: Physico,chemical ... ... 24 Lower Shannon: River/Stream Quality Status ... ... ... ... ... 25 (vii) EPA Export 26-07-2013:00:37:42 LOUGH DERG ... ... ... I.. ... Introduction ... ... ... ... ... Water Quality Investigation ... ... ... Surveys of 1921-23 ... ... ... ... A.F.F. Survey - 1972 and 1974 ... ... A.F.F. Survey of 1975 ... ... ... A.F.F. Survey of 1976-78 ... .e. ... A.F.F. Surveys of 1982 and 1984 ... ... Nutrient Inputs' of Lough Derg ... ... The Trophic Status of Lough Derg ... ... CHAPTER FOUR BENEFICIAL USES INTRODUCTION ... ... ... ... ... WATER ABSTRACTION ... ... ... ... FISHERIES ....... ... ... ... ... Angling ...... ... ... ... ... Monetary Value of Angling ... ... ... Commercial Fishing ... ... ... -. ... Spawning .of Game Fish ... e.. ... PLEASURE CRUISING * .. ... ... ... RECREATION AND AMENITY ... 1.. ... ... WATER POWER GENERATION ... ... ... ... For inspection purposes only. ConsentAREAS of copyright OF owner SCIENTIFIC required for any other use.INTEREST ... ... ... OTHER ACTIVITIES ... ... ... ... Peat Silt ... ... ... ... ... Drainage ... ... ... ... ... CHAPTER FIVE WATER QUALITY CRITERIA AND STANDARDS INTRODUCTION ... ... ... ... ... SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS ON WATER QUALITY STANDARDS 1.. ... ... ... General Comments ... ... ... ... Dissolved Oxygen (D.O.) ... ... ... Biochemical Oxygen Demand (B.O.D.) ... Ammonia ... ... ... ... ... (viii) I1 EPA Export 26-07-2013:00:37:42 Page No. Oxidised Nitrogen (Nitrate and Nitrite) ... 56 Phosphorus (Total and Orthophosphate) ... 56 Rivers ...... ... ... ... ... 57 Lakes ...... ... ... ... ... .58 Other Parameters ... ... ... ... ... 59 AESTHETIC QUALITIES ... ... ... ... ... 60 MIXING ZONES ...... ... .I. ... ... 60 CHAPTER SIX WASTE ASSIMILATION CAPACITY IN THE LOWER SHANNON CATCHMENT B RIVERS ... ...... ... ...... ... 73 General Comments -.. ... ...... ... 73- THE DETERMINATION AT WASTE ASSIMILATION CAPACITY ......... ... ... ... ... 74 ASSIMILATION CAPACITY OF IMPORTANT LOCATIONS ON RIVERS IN THE LOWER SHANNON CATCHMENT' ... ... 78 LAKES ............ ... ... ... ... 78 CHAPTER SEVEN WASTE LORDS AND WATER ABSTRACTIONS INTRODUCTION ...... ... .". ... ... 91 ESTIMATED EXISTING WASTE LOADS ... ... ... 91 ESTIMATED FUTURE WASTE LOADS ... ... ... ... 92 For inspection purposes only. Consent of copyright owner required for any other use. EXISTING WATER ABSTRACTIONS ... ... ... ... 95 CHAPTER EIGHT EFFLUENT TREATMENT CONSIDERATIONS INTRODUCTION ...... ... ... 1.. ... 96 RIVERS ......... ... ... ... ... 96 General Considerations ... ... ... ... 96 Discharges to Rivers ... ... ... ... 99 Nenagh ...... ... ... ... ... 99 Castleconnell ... ... ... ... ... 100 Ki 1laloe ... ... ... ... ... 100 Scarrif€ ... ... ... ... ... 100 Borrisokane ... ... ... ... ... 101 Newport ... ... ... ... ... 10 1 Cappamore ... ... ... ... ... 102 (ix) EPA Export 26-07-2013:00:37:42 -0- Caherconlish ... ... ... ... ... ... Cloughjordan ... ... ... ... ... Toomevara ... ... ... ... ... Doon ... ... ... ... ... Annacotty ... ... ... ... ... Oola ... ... ... ... ... Castletroy ... ... *.. ... ... Cappawhite ... ..D ... ... ... Killimor ... ..D ... ... ... Portr oe ... ... ... ... ... Silvermines ... ... ... ... ... Shannon Banks ... ..* ... ... .:. Ballina ... ... ... ... ... Lisduff and Barnacullia Streams ...... Ollatrim River ... ... ... ... Mining Operations ... ... ... ... Derrainy River ... ... ... ... ... 13ischarge to Lough Derg ... I.. ... Por tumna ... *.. ... ... ... .- Mountshannon ... ... ... ... ... Summary Conclusions and Recommendations on Dischai to Rivers and Streams in the Lower Shannon Catchmc For inspection purposes only. Consent of copyrightLAKES owner required... for any other... use. ... ..* ... ... ... General Remarks ... ... ... .0. ... Strategies for Phosphorus Control ... ... Control of Eutrophication in the Lakes of the Lower Shannon Catchment ...... ... ... ... ... The Position in Lough Derg ... ..- ... The Position in Poulawee Lough ... ... CHAPTER NINE THE DRAFT PLAN AND ITS IMPLEMEmATION. INTRODUCTION ...... ... ... ... ... THE PLAN ......... .*. ... ... ... Scope of the Plan ... ... ... ... Beneficial Uses Protected by the Plan ... Water Quality Criteria ... I.. ... ... (XI EPA Export 26-07-2013:00:37:42 Page No. Water Quality Standards ... ... ... ... 128 Flow Criterion for the Application of Standards ... ... ... ... ... 12.0 Waste Assimilation Capacity ... ... ... 130 Control of Effluents ... ... ... ... 131 General Approach ... ... ... ... 131 Minimum Control of Effluent ... ... 131 Effluent Treatment ... ... ... ... 131 Discharge Regime ... ... ... ... 132 Combined Treatment ....... ... ... 132 Agricultural Wastes ... ... ... ... 133 Lake Eutrophication ... ... ... ... 133 Groundwaters ...... ... ... ... ... - 133 Improvements Required in Existing Conditions ......... ... ... ... ... 134 Treatment Costs ...... ... ... ... ... 137 ... Qualifications and Modifications ... ... 138 CHAPTER TEJ A PROGRAMME OF FURTHER ACTION INTRODUCTION ...... ... ... ... ... 139 RIVER GAUGING ...... ... ... ... ... 139 WASTE LOADS ...... ... .... ... ... 140 NON-POINT SOURCES OF WASTE ... ... ... ... 141 For inspection purposes only. Consent of copyright owner... required for... any other use.... WATER QUALITY DATA ... ... 141 FISH POPULATIONS ... ... ... ... 1.. 142 ... ... ... RESEARCH TOPICS ... ... 142 SCHEDULE OF GRID REFERENCES TO THE TERMINAL POINTS OF' THE RIVERS AND STFEAMS DELINEATED ON THE PLAN MAP ... ... ... ... e.. ... 145 REFERENCES ... ... ... ... ... ... 147 (Xi) EPA Export 26-07-2013:00:37:42 LIST OF TABLES- AND FIGURES PAGE NO 2.1 Estimated Ninety Five Percentile and Dry Weather Flows at Towns in the Lower Shannon Catchment ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12 17 2.2 Populations in the Lower Shannon Catchment ... 2.3 Population Trends at Settlements in the Lower Shannon Catchment ... ... ... ... ... ... 18 3. 1' Standards for 3 Parameterrs of Water Quality for Freshwaters which are used or intended to be used as Salmonid and/or Cyprinid Fisheries ... 26 Rivers and Streams of the Lower Shannon Catchment
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