Bathing Water Profile - Brittas Bay South (2014) Bathing Water: Brittas Bay South Bathing Water Code: IEEABWC140_0000_0200 Local Authority: Wicklow County Council River Basin District: Eastern Monitoring Point: 330650E, 182470N 1. Profile Details: Profile Id: BWPR00259 Toilets Available: Yes Year Of Profile: 2014 Car Parking Available: Yes Year Of Identification 1998 Disabled Access: Yes Version Number: 1 First Aid Available: Yes Sensitive Area: Yes Dogs Allowed: No Lifesaving Facilities: No Figure 1: Bathing Water 2. Bathing Water Details: Map 1: Bathing Water Location & Extent Bathing Water location and The beach at Brittas Bay South is located just north of Mizen Head approximately 2.5 km west of Jack extent: Whites cross roads off N11 primary road via regional road R 773. The beach can also be reached along coast road R750 from Wicklow Town, 13 km south of Wicklow Head. The bathing area is approximately 1500m long and is approximately 0.12sq. km. in area. The beach is reached via parking area and with pathway/wooden decking down to the beach. Main features of the Bathing Type of Bathing Water Water: Brittas Bay Beach is a large, gently sloping open sandy beach backing onto hilly sand dune area. Flora/Fauna, Riparian Zone The beach forms part of the Buckroney-Brittas Dunes and Fen Special Area of Conservation (SAC 00729) and proposed Natural Heritage Area. The site comprises two main sand dune systems, Brittas Bay and Buckroney Dunes, connected on the coast by the rocky headland of Mizen Head. This site is important as an extensive sand dune/fen system with well developed plant communities. Along much of the higher parts of the beach, typical annual strandline vegetation occurs. Species such as Sea Rocket (Cakile maritima), Prickly Saltwort and Spear-leaved Orache are frequent in this zone, with the scarcer Yellow-horned Poppy present in places. The main dune ridges are dominated by Marram with herbaceous species such Sea Spurge, Sea Holly and Rest Harrow occurring throughout. The main dune ridges are well developed reaching heights of 10 m at Brittas. Several coastal habitats listed on the EU Habitats Directive, including two priority habitats - fixed dune and decalcified dune heath - are present. The area contains two legally protected plants Wild Asparagus, in its most northerly Irish station, and Meadow Saxifrage, as well as a number of other rare or scarce plant species; Green-flowered Helleborine, Bird’s-foot and Spring Vetch. The site provides habitat for some rare species of invertebrate and for the vulnerable Little Tern. Beyond the beach and dune area lie holiday home developments and residual properties to the west. There is no significant vegetation growing in the water off the beach other than some on rock outcrops in the south. Water Depth This sandy beach is considered shallow falling away gradually to depth. Tidal Range Arklow and Wicklow ports are the nearest locations for which tidal information is available. The beach at Brittas Bay South is close to Mizen Head, which is approximately equidistant from Arklow and Wicklow Ports. The tidal information for Brittas Bay South is estimated from this data. The tidal range is expected to be 1.4m. The mean high water spring tide could be expected to be 2.05m and the mean low water spring tide 0.65m. The mean high water neap tide is 1.75m and the mean low water neap tide is 1.0 m. The range between consecutive High and Low waters at a port changes over a full lunar month. When this Main features of the Bathing Water: range is at its greatest the tides are referred to as 'Spring tides' and when the range is at its smallest the tides are 'Neap tides'. The high tides at Britttas Bay South are about two hours earlier than the times for Dublin Port tides. Land Use The land use in the general area surrounding the bathing water is dominated by the protected area and amenity use of beach and with tourist/residential accommodation west of the coast road, and to a lesser extent pasture/other agricultural use further inland. Sensitive Area The Buckroney-Brittas Dunes and Fen Special Area of Conservation (SAC 00729) and proposed Natural Heritage Area (pNHA) encompass the length of beach and part of its catchment to the west. Activities available at the The number of visitors during the bathing season is expected to be around 600 per day at busy weekends. Bathing Water: The beach is used by limited numbers of surfers, windsurfers, canoeists and snorkelling enthusiasts. Contributing catchment Contributing Catchment: The contributing catchment to the bathing water is approximately 2.2 square details: kilometres. The Brittas Bay South beach is located in the townlands of Ardanairy and Cornagower East. The local stream at the south end of the beach rises at a height of about 35m, 1.5km to the northwest of the beach in the townland of Tonlegee. The catchment of local stream includes all or part of the townlands of Ardanairy, Cornagower West, Cornagower East and Tonlegee and drains into the Southwestern Irish Sea-Brittas Bay(HA10) in the Eastern River Basin District. The Southwestern Irish Sea-Brittas Bay(HA10) has not yet being assigned a water quality status but must attain or retain at least good status by 2015. Water Bodies draining into Bathing Water: A small local stream rising 1500m to the northwest enters into the coastal waters to the south but often terminates before reaching the seawater in drier weather. Topography:The catchment consists of shallow sloping hills falling from a height of 35m in the northwest of the catchment. Soils, Subsoils, Bedrock: 80 % Gleys/20% Brown pods is the predominant soil group east of the coast road and coastal sand dunes to the east towards the bathing water. The subsoil in the beach area are wind blow sands with alluvium along the route local stream and some made ground in the west. Ordovician Metasediment is the bedrock type with fault line running east-west at the south of the catchment. The bedrock ranges from a locally important moderately productive aquifer in local zones with high-low vulnerability to pollution. Population Centres: The nearest population centres are Arklow and Wicklow Towns. There are 5 holiday home developments and along the R773 road west and several residential properties along the coast road south. There has 75 units and there are approx. 83 units in the park to the west. There is also a caravan park to south of the bathing water extraneous to the catchment. Rainfall: The closest weather station to the bathing water is Arklow Waterworks (Grid. Ref. E322125 N173038), which is approximately 15km from the bathing water and at a height of 34m. Mean annual rainfall at this station for the period 1961-1990 period was 1000mm. The lowest monthly average rainfall of 53mm occurred in the month of July with the highest of 112mm occurring in December. At Rosslare (Grid. Ref. E331779 N112,173), the mean annual rainfall at this station for the period 1961-1990 period was 877.2mm. The lowest monthly average rainfall of 50.6mm occurred in the month of July with the highest of 97.6mm occurring in November and December. Formal designations The bathing water was designated under the EC (Quality of Bathing Water) Regulations, 1988. The coastal area of the County is designated an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the County Development Plan. The Buckroney-Brittas Dunes and Fen Special Area of Conservation (SAC 00729) and proposed Natural Heritage Area (pNHA) encompass the length of beach and part of its catchment to the west. Brittas Bay South is currently a designated blue flag status beach. Monitoring point details: The grid reference for the nominal bathing water monitoring point is E330650 N182470. The precise location of bathing water-monitoring point can vary depending on the tidal and weather conditions. Reason for selection of the The location of the bathing water sampling point is the location where most bathers are expected. monitoring point: Water quality assessment: The bathing water quality monitoring carried out at Brittas Bay South up to 2013 has shown consistently good water quality. However, in the 2013 bathing season, 25% of samples did not satisfy the EC Guide Value for E. Coli. Based on this data, Brittas Bay South has now been assigned sufficient status when assessed against the Bathing Water Directive 1976/160/EEC.ˢ From the end of 2014 season, the bathing water status will be assessed against the new criteria of the Bathing Water DirectiveˢijııĸİĸİEC concerning the management of bathingˢwater quality, over aˢrolling four-year period (2011-2014). Using the new criteria the bathing water monitoring data set for theˢperiodˢijıIJıĮijıIJĴġindicates excellent status, which suggests that assessment for the 2011-2014 period may also be excellent.ˢˢ 3. Identified Pressures: Map 2: Bathing Water Catchment 3.1 Potential pressures in the catchment assessed as posing no risk: Description: The wastewater treatment plant serving 45-unit caravan park to south the bathing area and Mizen Head. Source: Caravan Park Type: Waste Water Treatment plant Short Term Pressure: No 3.2 Potential pressures in the catchment assessed as posing risk: Description: Septic tank system in Public Parking Area. Source: Public parking Area Type: Septic Tank Short Term Pressure: Yes Nature: Low Risk Frequency: Low Duration: < 24 hours Risk Assessment The risk assessment methodology is based on a source-pathway-receptor approach. The potentially Methodology: polluting activity or structure is considered the source, the receptor being the bathing water and the pathway being the route of by which the pollutant could reach the receptor. The risk reduces as treatment/control measures at the source and/or in the pathway to the receptor increases and vice- versa.