Bathing Water Profile - Magheraroarty (2016) Bathing Water: Magheraroarty Bathing Water Code: IENWBWC100_0000_0300 Local Authority: Donegal County Council River Basin District: North Western Monitoring Point: 189110E, 433210N 1. Profile Details: Profile Id: BWPR00345 Toilets Available: Yes Year Of Profile: 2016 Car Parking Available: Yes Year Of Identification Disabled Access: No Version Number: 1 First Aid Available: No Sensitive Area: Yes Dogs Allowed: Yes Lifesaving Facilities: Yes Figure 1: Bathing Water 2. Bathing Water Details: Map 1: Bathing Water Location & Extent Bathing Water location and Magheraroarty (Machaire Uí Rabhartaigh) Beach is located in a rural area on the North Coast of the extent: Donegal, approximately 9 km from the town of Falcarragh. It is located in the Northwestern Atlantic Seaboard Coastal waterbody (NW_100_0000) within the North Western River Basin District. The designated bathing area is approx. 1.402km2 and the extent along the water is approximately is 4230m. Main features of the Bathing Type of Bathing Water: Magheraroarty beach consists of a long sandy beach. It is on a spit of land with the Water: Atlantic Ocean to the West and Ballyness Bay to the East, and the island of Inishbofin to the North. The beach is west facing into the Atlantic Ocean and gets a strong wash of water from the rough sea directly onto the beach. Flora/Fauna, Riparian Zone: The beach and catchment make up a small area with shifting dunes along the coastline and embryonic shifting dunes. These are backed by vegetated dunes, which are vegetated by Marram Grass. Humid dune slacks occur on the fixed dunes on the Magheraroarty dune system. The dune slacks provide feeding habitat for Greenland Whitefronted Geese and Barnacle Geese, and roosting habitat for other waders and wildfowl in bad weather. Long sandy coastal beaches occur on the seaward side of the dune systems. Ballyness Bay to the east exposes extensive mud flats and sand flats at low tides. These flats have a rich invertebrate fauna and Lugworm casts cover the surface. There are several small Eelgrass beds. The intertidal areas provide important feeding and roosting habitat for wintering and resident seabirds and waterfowl. Permanent water channels, which flow though the bay, represent the estuarine habitat on the site. Other habitats within the site include small areas of saltmarsh, lowland dry grassland, heath, scrub, woodland, bedrock shore, lowland wet grassland, drainage ditch, reedbed and exposed rock. These habitats fringe the bay. The site is used by over-wintering and resident waders and wildfowl, including Red-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, Whooper Swan, Barnacle Goose, Greenland White-fronted Geese, and Golden Plover which are listed in Annex I of the EU Birds Directive. Other Annex I species recorded in the site include Chough, Sandwich Tern, Little Tern, Peregrine and Merlin. Grey Plover and Sanderling occur in nationally important numbers. Common Seal and Otter, which are both listed in Annex II of the EU Habitats Directive, use the site. The Irish Hare, which is listed as ‘Internationally Important’ in the Irish Red Data Book also use the site. Water Depth: There is an evenly sloped gradient off the beach getting to a depth of 1m approximately 10m out from the water line. Tidal Range: The water line within the designated area is approximately 4230 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 sand dunes and Main features of the Bathing Water: beaches 70% and Intertidal Flats 30%. Local Sites of Interest: Magheraroarty is situated approx. 9km from Falcarragh town, which has all the usual modern facilities. Within the catchment are numerous local walks and the Errigal andMuckishMountains, which are a particular tourist attraction for the breathtaking panoramic views of surrounding Donegal. There are a number of historic sites in the area including megalithic tombs, a Church and cross, ballaun stone, holy well, plantation house, promontory fort and a fulacht fia. There is also the ferry to Tory Island which departs from the pier next to the beach. Additional Information: Magheraroarty Beach receives the Green Coast Award from An Taisce. This is a symbol of excellence, which recognises; excellent water quality, high environmental standards, good management and community involvement.GreenCoast beaches are ideal for those wishing to enjoy a beach experience far removed from the intrusions normally associated with the traditional and more urban seaside beaches. Facilities:Parking is available at the entrance to the beach. For all other facilities Falcarragh and Gortahork (9km & 5km) have shops, pubs, hotels, toilets, banks, restaurants, recycling facilities in Falcarragh beside the parish hall and along the Main Street in Gortahork etc. Other facilities are also present at Killahoey Blue Flag Beach (beside Dunfanaghy, 21km drive) such lifeguards (seasonal), car park, toilets (seasonal), information boards, refuse and recycling facilities. 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 200 people with a large proportion if users walking and using the water for surfing and a variety of recreational water sports. Throughout the season approximately 5,000 people have been estimated to visit the beach. Visitor numbers are representative of the visitors observed by the water quality samplers and from local information. Activities available at the Activities at Magheraroarty beach include swimming, kayaking, boating, surfing, windsurfing, sailing, Bathing Water: power boating and other land based activities on the beach with the majority of users walking along the long shore. Contributing catchment Magheraroarty Beach is located in a rural area near Gortahork and Falcarragh on the North Coast of details: Donegal facing North-west into the Atlantic Ocean. Contributing Catchment: The contributing catchment of the designated bathing area for Magheroarty Beach consists of only a small part of the dune structure. Water Bodies draining to Bathing Area: There are no designated river water bodies within the catchment area for Magheroarty Beach. Land Cover and Land Use Topography: The catchment consists of sand, dunes and beaches 70% and intertidal flats 30%. Land Use: The peninsula mainly comprises of sand, dunes and beaches 70% and intertidal flats 30%. Formal Designations: Magheraroarty bathing water catchment contains the Ballyness Bay pNHA and SAC (Code 001090). Population Centres: The towns of Falcarragh and Gortahork are the nearest centres of population to the beach, but including the larger catchment area, there are approximately 3,747 people throughout the catchment (CSO. 2011). Rainfall: The closest weather station to the designated beach is at Malin Head Weather Station (IC 418 575), which is approximately 55km 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 through www.met.ie Monitoring point details: The monitoring point for this bathing water is located at the grid reference point IB 891 332. 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 Magheraroarty Beach since 2003 has shown consistently good water quality at all times. From the 2010 bathing season, Magheraroarty 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 4.7 and 4.7 respectively. The Magheraroarty 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: Bird feces 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: Increased microbial pollution from the catchment. Source: Rainfall Type: Rainwater discharges Short Term Pressure: Yes Nature: Low Risk Frequency: <1/month Duration: < 24 hours Risk Assessment Heavy rainfall carries an added risk of pollution from surface runoff. Methodology: Risk Assessment The bathing water vulnerability for short term pollution (STP) events has been examined. The beach Results: 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 2006 to 2015. The STP event was calculated in conjunction with the Information Note on Short Term Pollution (STP) Events specified in the 2008 Bathing Water Quality