Bathing Water Profile - (2016)

Bathing Water: Portnablagh Bathing Water Code: IENWBWC190_0000_0300 Local Authority: County Council River Basin District: North Western Monitoring Point: 204684E, 437103N

1. Profile Details:

Profile Id: BWPR00343 Toilets Available: No Year Of Profile: 2016 Car Parking Available: Yes Year Of Identification 1992 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 Portnablagh Beach is located close to the village of Portnablagh (Port na Bláiche), which is located near extent: on the North coast of . It is located in the Sheephaven Coastal waterbody (NW_190_0000) running into the Northwestern Atlantic Seaboard Coastal waterbody (NW_100_0000) within the North Western River Basin District. The designated bathing area is approx. 0.014km2 and the extent along the water is approximately is 190m. The beach is located beside the small working pier and slipway.

Main features of the Bathing Type of Bathing Water: Portnablagh beach consists of a small sandy beach; confined by Portnablagh Water: pier to the North and a small headland to the South. The pier is a working pier with a small breakwater behind it. Portnablagh is a small beach situated between the larger beaches at Marblehill and Killahoey but is of high importance because of the nature of the beach and it’s use for water recreation.

Flora/Fauna, Riparian Zone: The beach and catchment make up only a small area. The riparian zone is semi natural with some housing development immediately behind the beach, which is built on part of the dunes and grassland, though natural areas still exist to the North and East of the houses. The site is part of an Special Protection Area (SPA) under the E.U. Birds Directive, of special conservation interest for the following species: Chough, Peregrine, Fulmar, Cormorant, Shag, Kittiwake, Guillemot, Razorbill, Greenland White-fronted Goose and Barnacle Goose.SheephavenBay also has a Shellfish Designation Area for native oysters, which is around the Breaghy Headland, just past Marblehill.

Water Depth: There is a very deep gradient off Portnablagh Beach with the water depth reaching 1m approx 5m from the water line and continuing out at a deep slope. This is part of the reason for it’s use for water sports and boating as the deep sheltered bay allows for close access for boats with a number moored in the area all year around.

Tidal Range: The water line within the designated area is approximately 190 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 a road that runs along the length of the beach, some housing, a small caravan park, the pier and some agricultural land. There is no town in the catchment.

Local Sites of Interest: Portnablagh is situated approx. 2km from and Marblehill, both of which have Blue Flag Beaches. The Shandon Hotel and Spa is based at Marblehill, which overlooks the beach and bay. Beautiful scenic views are to be had from Breaghy Head that also has a promontory fort. Beside Killahoey Beach at Dunfanaghy is an 18 hole golf course and leading on into the town is a variety of hotels, pubs, coffee shops, shops, two surf shops and a gallery. On the outskirts of Dunfanaghy is a Workhouse and Heritage Centre with a Famine Exhibition. Other sites of historic interest in the area include a Plantation Bawn and House, standing stone and megalithic tomb in the area.

Additional Information: Beach and Maritime Craft Bye Laws were implemented at Portnablagh beach in Main features of the Bathing Water:

2009. These Bye Laws were introduced to regulate and /or prohibit the use of personal watercrafts, recreational crafts, vehicles, horses, dogs, camping, vendors, water sport schools and to protect the beach and dune systems.

Activities available at the Facilities: Limited parking is available at the pier. For all other facilities such as a larger car park, toilets Bathing Water: (seasonal), lifeguards (seasonal), information boards, recycling, refuse bins can be found at Killahoey Beach or Marblehill Beach 2 km on either side of Portnablagh. Marblehill Beach does not have refuse and recycling facilities as it is a PII PIO (Pack It In, Pack It Out) area.

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 400 people with a large proportion if users using the water for swimming and a variety of recreational water sports. Throughout the season approximately 7,000 people have been estimated to visit the beach. Visitor numbers are representative of the visitors recorded by the Irish Coast Guard when completing safety and lifejacket surveys in the area.

Activities: Activities at Portnablagh beach include swimming, kayaking, boating, windsurfing, sailing, surfing, power boating, jet skiing, diving and other land based activities on the beach. Fishing is done from the pier and a number of small boats leave from the pier to fish in the bay.

Contributing catchment Portnablagh Beach is located beside the village of Dunfanaghy and Breaghy Head. The beach is situated details: facing North West looking over to Killahoey Beach in . The beach itself has a small catchment area running off the surrounding hills to the shore.

Contributing Catchment: The contributing catchment of the designated bathing area for Portnablagh Beach is approximately 0.600km2 in area.

Water Bodies draining to Bathing Area: There are no waterbodies draining onto the beach or in the catchment area. A small volume of diffuse run off comes onto the beach from the dunes and grasses behind the beach.

Land Cover and Land Use:

Topography: The catchment consists of a small area of mainly low-lying land. There are two roads, a small caravan park and a number of houses in the catchment and the area is confined on either side by rocky headlands. There is one large lake to the South West of the catchment called Sessiagh Lough, which is a Special Area of Conservation (Code 000185).

Land Use: Land used for pasture (49%) that is not intensively farmed and discontinued urban fabric (39%), make up the majority of the small catchment, the remainder is made up of natural grass land (11%).

Soils, Subsoils, Bedrock: The catchment bedrock is predominantly comprised of Sessiagh-Clonmass Formation (79%) and metadolorite (14%). The main soil types for the catchment area lithsols-regosols- acidic (48%), surface water/ground water gleys (25%) and podzols-peaty (21%). The subsoil consists of rock (67%) and metamorphic till (32%).

Formal Designations: Portnablagh Beach catchment is located within the Horn Head to Head Special Protection Area (SPA) (Code 004194) and between a number of other areas of formal designation including Sessiagh Lough proposed National Heritage Area (pNHA) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC) (Code 000185) Sheephaven pNHA and SAC (Code 001190) and the pNHA for Hornhead and Rinclaven (Code 000147).

Population Centres: Portnablagh is a rural area and the only population in the catchment is from the on off scattered rural housing and a small caravan park; there are 155 people living in the catchment (CSO, 2011). This population increases significantly during the summer tourist season.

Rainfall: The closest weather station to the designated beach is at Malin Head Weather Station (IC 418 575), which is approximately 45km 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 108.7, 63.4, 91.7, 99.6 and 40.8 respectively. Details of the rainfall data can be obtained throughwww.met.ie

Monitoring point details: The monitoring point for this bathing water is located at the grid reference point IC 047 371. 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 Portnablagh Beach since 2003 has shown consistently good water quality at all times. From the 2010 bathing season, Portnablagh 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 8.7 and 176.8 respectively. The Portnalagh 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: There are anumber of individual houses located throughout the catchment, which all presumably have some form of on-site effluent treatment system. Source: On Site Waste Waster Treatment Systems Type: Septic Tank Short Term Pressure: No

Description: Approximately 49% of the land use within the catchment is for pasture and 11% for natural vegetation. Source: Agriculture Type: Run off from agricultural land Short Term Pressure: No

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

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.

Description: The plant is located 200m from the pier at Portnablagh at grid reference IC 046 372. Combined wastewater from Dunfanaghy and Portnablagh is piped to Portnablagh for treatment. The effluent is currently treated to Primary stage in underground twin celled primary settling tanks prior to discharge to the sea. The agglomeration has a PE of 1700 for this treatment plan though during short summer periods the PE exceeds 2000. There are 4 Pump Station with storm water overflows on the network, three of which are in the catchment(IC 047 437, IC 044 237 and IC 046 369), the other one discharges at Dunfanaghy. This by-passes the treatment process during heavy rainfall and combines with the treated flow prior to discharge. The coastal waterbody NW_190_0000) to which Portnablagh WWTP discharges is not considered to be at risk under the Water Framework Directive and has a High water quality status. Source: Dunfanaghy Waste Water Treatment Plant Type: Waste Water Treatment plant Short Term Pressure: Yes Nature: High Risk Frequency: <1/year Duration: < 72 hours Risk Assessment Microbial Pollution Potential (MPP) combined with the Water Quality Impact (WQI) grades for Methodology: bathing waters result in the Microbial Pollution Risk (MPR) assessment for pollution sources affecting coastal and inland bathing waters.

Risk Assessment The discharge could be considered to be a short outfall as the discharge point is located Results: approximately 200m from the West end of the beach. The Microbial Pollution Potential for this discharge is High. The Water Quality Impact grade for this bathing water is A; therefore, the Microbial Pollution Risk (MPR) Assessment for this discharge is High. There is no evidence of impact on the beach as the bathing water results are consistently good during all water quality monitoring.

Details: If the pumps fail, there is an assist pump at each site. The frequency of an event would be largely based on the frequency of heavy rainfall during the period and could last for the duration of the storm event. There is rarely a problem at the site with the assist pump or the overflows. The site is monitored on a regular basis by the water caretakers.

Management The inspector routinely inspects the pumps. In the event of a failure at a pump, measures have been Measures: put in place as described in the Wastewater Discharge License Application Form. The problem will be examined and rectified as soon as possible. In the event of disruption from the ESB network, the ESB would be contacted. If a prolonged problem arises, mobile generators are to be brought on site. In the event of a discharge bathers shall be notified of potential risk to water quality & advised not to use designated bathing waters by signage at the bathing area and by informing lifeguards on duty until bathing water results prove that any possible incident has passed. 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 Portnablagh Beach location in a sheltered Bay off the North coast of Donegal provides some of macroalgae: shelter from macroalgae being washed into the bay. 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 with two of marine phytoplankton: having been recorded at the other side of Sheephaven Bay (1997 and 2005) though non have been recorded at Portnablagh 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 and its services please visit www.donegalcoco.ie.

4 Bathing Water Status From Previous Sampling Years:

2012 2013 2014 2015 Portnablagh Good Quality Good Quality Good Quality Good Quality

5 Contact Details:

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