UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN School of Architecture, Planning & Environmental Policy Undergraduate Thesis in Landscape Architecture BSc (Hons) - Level 8 Tutor: Dermot Foley, Luke Byrne & Joanne Coughlan GIVING RIGHTS TO THE RIVER TOLKA May 2020 Landscape architects must address the impaired and threatened Irish water channels and bridge the link for a much needed urban ecological framework Lauren Hanney INTRO XL L M S XS Statement 1 Irelands waterbodies 7 Chosen Watercourse 13 Conditions of River 35 Strategy 1 45 Strategy 2 55 Motivation 2 Polluted waters 8 River & Catchment 14 Farming at Rivers Edge 37 Land Ownership 46 Water System 56 Precedent study 3 Climate change 10 Topography 15 Land Cut Off s 38 Land Size 47 Plan 57 Disposition 5 C.C Impact on rivers 11 Small Stream Networks 16 Lack of Public Accessibility 39 Reclaiming 48 Filtration Detail 59 C.C and Sea Level 12 Land Uses 17 Fish Kill 40 Plan 49 Floodplain Detail 60 Bedrock 21 Flooding 41 Renderings 51 Plan Detail 61 Road Runoff 22 Polluted Stormwater Runoff 42 23 Water Retention Artifi cial Banks 43 Forestry 24 25 Journey along the River OUTRO River Banks 33 THESIS TITILE MOTIVATION Giving Rights to the River Tolka The River Tolka over the past two centuries has not changed drastically in its course but its health has deteriorated signifi cantly. Once a river polluted with fi sh is now polluted with waste due to urban activity, from fertilizers of agricultural land leaching in, to direct waste pumping into the watercourse. The conditions of the river are not meeting the EU standards, despite being brought to court over the matter where the Irish Water pleaded guilty to off ences under the Water Waste Discharge. The river had a major fi sh kill THESIS STATEMENT in 2018, European Commission gave Ireland repeated warnings and little resolution has been made for these ongoing issues. Landscape Architects Must Address the Impaired and Threatened Irish Water Channels and Bridge the Link for a Much-Needed Urban Ecological Framework 2 PRECEDENT STUDY KEY LESSONS FOR IRELAND The Dutch are the world’s go-to water management experts. The newly introduced National Water Plan It is possible for the Dutch methods and systems to be applicable in Ireland. Firstly, by making the public provides the outlines, principles and direction of the national water policy for the 2016-2021 planning aware of the challenges and opportunities, instead of building to keep water out allow water in but manage it period, with an insight towards 2050 goals. The Cabinet is responding to predicted changes in the climate in a way where it has dual functions. in the long term, in order to prevent against fl ooding. The planning period will see logical measures being implemented that tackle the challenges in the short term and leave enough options open for taking further Unprecedented disruption and damage to infrastructure and agriculture following recent fl ooding and steps in the longer term. The Cabinet ties in with the results of the Delta Programme. The approaches increased rainfall in Ireland underlines that a new fi nancial, engineering and management strategy is makes the Netherlands a pioneer and a leading example at a global level. This National Water Plan is the necessary for Ireland’s water management. This should be integral to the general improvement of Ireland’s Cabinet’s next step to achieve a robust and future oriented design of our water system, targeted at eff ective infrastructure. protection against fl oods, at the prevention of pluvial fl ooding and drought, and at obtaining good water quality and a healthy ecosystem as the grounds for welfare and prosperity. Ireland could learn greatly from the Dutch experience in planning and design of eff ective water systems for The Cabinet goal is to adopt a comprehensive approach, by developing nature, shipping, agriculture, their contribution to agriculture, transport and above all defence against fl ooding. energy, housing, recreation, cultural heritage and the economy (including earning potential), as much as possible in conjunction with water tasking. (Government.nl, 2019) As Ireland fl ood magnitudes have been increasing at a rate of about fi ve per cent per decade since the 1960s and being surrounded by a coast, we should note how the Dutch has learned how to protect against fl ooding The aim is that by 2021 government authorities, businesses and citizens are more informed of the and developed a sophisticated system of almost 3,800 kilometres of fl ood defences, including earthen levees opportunities and threats of water in their own immediate surroundings. Everyone will take their own along the main rivers as well as sand dunes, coastal dikes and fi ve major coastal protection works and storm responsibilities in bringing about together a water-robust spatial design, restricting pluvial fl ooding and surge barriers along the coast. Based on studies of future sea level rises and storms associated with climate disasters, and responding effi ciently in extreme situations. (Government.nl, 2019) change, there are plans to raise the dikes by 1-3 metres over the next 100 years so Ireland must not only protect against the current climate conditions but also prepare for what is to come. Sea levels in Holland are predicted to rise more than three feet by the end of the century. This projection motivated the Dutch government, where they formerly used to wall water out at all costs, to reconsider, The second part of the Dutch strategy is a special river fl ood protection programme: ‘Room for the River’ and allow the water in instead. Farmers of Overdiepse Polder voluntarily gave up their own land so that introduced after the near-disasters during the 1993-1995 Rhine-Meuse river fl oods. The Dutch government it could utilised as a spillway for nearby rivers when it fl oods, with the intention to protect cities and towns continues to develop and implement measures to deal with expanding cities, industrial growth and potential downstream. Huge mounds were constructed, so that farmers were able to build brand new farms high eff ects of climate change. And, it is putting aside about 0.5% of GDP annually into a Delta Fund to develop above the fl oodplain, where they were happy to do so. and implement measures to deal with eff ects of climate change and to prepare for more extreme events in future. Ireland must make serious considerations to the importance of the measures that must be taken to Learning to accommodate water has led to innovation, for example, The Sand Engine (Zandmotor), a prevent the latter eff ects. 24-million-ton pile of sand that was dumped off on Holland’s south coast. From here nature was the engine that spread it into a fl ood barrier and later a beach. The Dutch had achieved a fortress of fl ood protection. Environmental awareness is key to the future development of Dublin, having regard challenges faced due Seen today, the Netherlands deems itself protected against a 10,000-year storm. to climate change, coastal erosion, fl ooding, European Directives and designations etc. In addition to the Through experimental facilities, they test proposed structures that will protect against the coast from ocean protection of the designated sites (SPA,SAC, NHA et al) an extensive network of natural and amenity space waves.The Netherlands’ landscape and economy were built on 1,100 years of strategic water engineering. will be essential to provide breathing space for high-density development, provide fl ood alleviation and Canals used for draining, collecting and moving water around were crucial, as 18 percent of the nation sustainable drainage solutions, protect water quality and facilitate wildlife protection and movement corridors. today is now considered water. (Government.nl, 2019)Management of the water in these canals, along with (Ham 2007) Local involvement is key, the Netherlands retains a strong regional system even with local large dikes, sustain the omnipresent system of polders, small units of low-lying land retrieved from the sea taxation. and rivers that exist below the natural water table. There is limited evidence of the original delta from which the Netherlands expanded on and it’s challenging to see the North Sea unless you are standing upon a Dutch NEN policy and the European Natura 2000 network of designated sites complement each other. If high fl ood control structure.But where high dikes aren’t present walling off the North Sea, you will uncover ecological corridors are to be developed in Ireland, the Dutch system could be used as a template for a top expanses of charming protected and restored vegetated dunes, natural infrastructure that off ers protection down Irish policy framework, in which ecological networks are embedded into national policy and also funded for communities, habitat for birds and are appreciated for their contributions to ensuring a high quality, at this level however stronger regional vision will also be needed to plan and implement strategic corridors in reliable water supply. the Dublin city region (Wright, M. 1976). (Aljazeera.com, 2019) 3 4 DISPOSITION This thesis is subdivided into fi ve chapters. These chapters are categorized by scale, ranging from XL XL to XS. The chapters provide a sense of scale and serve as a guide gradually approaching the Extra large provides an overview of smallest scales and the fi nal proposals. Irelands river networks, their health and repercussions. The fi rst two chapters including the introduction, XL and L provides an overview of the river networks in Ireland, the chosen river and catchment area analysis. L Large looks at the river Tolka and The next chapters include M, S and XS which its catchment area.