Lough Derg
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1lough Derg p<:lough Ree w U Catchment Monitoring &' Management System For inspection purposes only. Consent of copyright owner required for any other use. I\ I Interim Report EPA Export 26-07-2013:02:37:10 Lough Derg P roj e c t Pa r t n e r s &Lough Ree The Lough Derg and Lough Ree Catchment Monitoring and Management System is sponsored by the Department of Environment and Local Government and jointly administered by Clare County Council and Roscommon County Council. Bord na M6na Cavan County Council Central Fisheries Board - Clare County Council Department of the Environment and Local Government Electricity Supply Board Environmental Protection Agency Galway County Council Leitrim County Council Longford County Council Offaly County Council Roscommon County Council Shannon Regional Fisheries Board Teagasc Tipperary (NR) County Council For inspection purposes only. ConsentWestmeath of copyright ownerCounty required Council for any other use. The European Union Cohesion Fund is providing 85% financial support towards the approved cost of the Lough Derg and Lough Ree Catchment Monitoring and Management System. AN ROlNN C~HSHAnlLMUSRlaLTAlSAlT~lL DEPARTMENT OFTHE ENVIRONMENT AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT EPA Export 26-07-2013:02:37:10 Catchment Monitoring Contents & Management System Interim Report - September 1998 1 Introduction 1 2 Investment Programme 5 3 Monitoring System 7 @ 4 Management System 13 5 Agr icul tu re 16 6 Town & Industries 25 7 Water Quality - Existing Status 26 8 Water Quality - Proposed Standards 37 For inspection purposes only. Consent of copyright owner required for any other use. 9 Water Quality - Current Monitoring 41 10 Environmental Indicators 44 11 Consultations 50 12 References and Acknowledgements 55 EPA Export 26-07-2013:02:37:11 Lough Derg In trod uc t ion &Lough Ree Introduction quality, primarily through investment in wastewater infrastructure (Table 1). The lakes and rivers of Ireland are important natural resources providing valuable supplies for drinking water, centres for tourism, recreation and amenity uses and ecological habitats of national and Catchment Total estimated international importance. 75% of drinking water in scheme cost Em Ireland is abstracted from surface waters and an Derg 30.0 estimated 250,000 visitors to Ireland annually are Ree 18.7 principally drawn by active water-based pursuits Suir 26.7 Boyne 22.0 such as fishing, cruising and sailing. @ Leane (Killarnev) 11.75 Barrow 11.9 River water quality deterioration, Figure 1, has given Total , 121.05 rise to increased levels of nutrients, principally phosphorus, being exported via rivers to the lakes The Minister has set an interim policy target of which has led to eutrophication in recent years. avoiding any further disimprovement in surface Eutrophication is the enrichment of waters by water quality. Rivers and lakes will be classified nutrients beyond natural levels causing an utilising a baseline of water quality status established accelerated and undesirable growth in microscopic using the most recent Environmental Protection algae and other forms of plant life. Agency (EPA) monitoring programmes (1995- 1997). A timeframe of ten years is proposed for the The primary sources of nutrient enrichment are: achievement of three minimum targets: For inspection purposes only. Consent of copyright owner required for any other use. + point source emissions from industry and urban - the elimination of seriously polluted river agglomerations; stretches; + diffuse losses principally from agriculture:. - the incremental improvement in river channels currently slightly polluted or moderately A major catchment-based initiative sponsored by the polluted; and Department of the Environment and Local Government, implemented by individual local - the restoration of lakes which are eutrophic to authorities and co-financed by the EU Cohesion satisfactory conditions and the improvement of Fund is currently underway to arrest the lakes which are currently hypertrophic. eutrophication process and return the rivers and lakes to a satisfactory state. So far, the European The interim targets have now been adopted by Commission, through the Cohesion Fund, has Regulation (S.I. No. 258 of 1998, Local Government committed to co-finance schemes costing (Water Pollution) Act, 1997 (Water Standards for approximately E 12 Im aimed at improving water Phosphorus) Regulations, 1998). 1 EPA Export 26-07-2013:02:37:11 Catchment Monitoring uc In trod tion & Management System eutrophication will depend upon an integrated 100 Class A Unpolluted Class B Slightly Polluted approach being adopted between Government Departments, the EPA and Local Authorities and sectoral interest groups to ensure effective implementation of the management strategies on a catchment-wide basis. The Lough Derg and Lough Ree Catchment Monitoring and Management System is being developed over a three year period (July 1997-July 1971 1981 1986 1990 1994 2000). Expenditure on the System will be approximately E2.3 million. 85% financial support Figure 1 River Water Quality Trend towards the approved cost is being provided by the European Union Cohesion Fund. As a long-term objective, the Minister proposes the elimination of seriously, moderately and slightly This Interim report outlines progress during the first polluted river stretches. With respect to lakes, the year of the Project, describes water quality status, Strategy seeks the elimination of hypertrophic and proposes water quality objectives for the rivers and eutrophic conditions so as to achieve at least lakes and; most importantly, key environmental mesotrophic status (satisfactory conditions). indicators against which progress may be gauged. Lough Derg and Lough Ree Catchment The report is primarily intended as a consultative Monitoring and Management System For inspection purposesdocument only. that will provide a basis for ongoing Consent of copyright owner required for any other use. firm participation by interested parties to the development The Lough Derg and Lough Ree Catchment of the Monitoring and Management System. Monitoring and Management System, Map 1, provides the first opportunity to make operational the principles of the Strategy and to develop practices which may be extended to other priority catchments in Ireland. The Catchment Monitoring and Management System will promote a catchment-based approach for reducing phosphorus inputs from all sources. This will involve an assessment of the effectiveness of the current investment in wastewater treatment plants as well as identifying and quantifying other point and diffuse sources of pollution, in particular from the agricultural sector. Successful action against River Shannon at Athlone 2 EPA Export 26-07-2013:02:37:11 Lough Derg Introduction &Lough Ree Table 2 Catchment Monitoring and Management System Objectives ./Iil, + to establish the current water quality condition for Lough Derg and Lough Ree and to identify localisec areas where deterioration is most marked; + to establish the current water quality c dition for the River Shannon and its tributary streams; I i; + to produce maps illustrating biological and physico-chemical water quality by reach; + to quantify/I the various contributions to pollution loads arising from urban agglomerations, industrial dischapges,Ill agriculture and from other uses such as forestry and peat abstraction; I I + to undertakei/ agricultural mini-catchment studies; ' I I/ '1 + to developI/ a Geographical Information System which will facilitate analysis of water quality issues on a Ill I total catchment and sub-catchment basis; I r' + to assdssI/ the additive effects of significant point and diffuse discharges to the catchment and to determine their localIll impact; !j 0 to produce!I maps of land areas within the catchment which can be characterised by the le /1 contributionill to pollutant load to rivers and lakes; ii For inspection purposes only. Consent of copyright owner required for any other use. 0 to quantifyI1 nutrient export D to provideI/ an estimate of pho I D to propose11 environmental includingIll the protection, wh I1 b to identify appropriate envi Ill pollution11 abatement strateg b to asiess improvements in wateri qualit] strategies; .!I I1 b to establish an overall Water Qu b to makeI/ recommendations reg - II 3 EPA Export 26-07-2013:02:37:11 1 Catchment Monitoring trod uct In ion Management System For inspection purposes only. Consent of copyright owner required for any other use. Map 1 Lough Derg and Lough Ree Catchment 4 EPA Export 26-07-2013:02:37:11 Lough Derg Investment Programme &Lough Ree EU Cohesion Funded Sewerage Schemes The Local Authorities are currently implementing a major investment programme which will upgrade the sewerage networks and wastewater treatment plants at seventeen of the main population centres within the Lough Derg and Lough Ree catchment. The locations of the sewerage schemes are presented in Map 2 and a summary of the main works is presented in Table 3. Significant capital investment amounting to over E48 million has been allocated to the schemes. The schemes are being co-financed at the rate of between 80-85% of the approved costs by the European Union Cohesion Fund. The Lough Derg and Lough Ree Catchment Map 2 Sewerage Schemes Co-financed by the Monitoring and Management System will quantify EU Cohesion Fund the improvement in water quality arising from this major pollution abatement measure. For inspection purposes only. Consent of copyright owner required for any other use. Construction