STRIVE Report Series No.99 Management Strategies for the Protection of High Status Water Bodies STRIVE Environmental Protection Agency Programme 2007-2013 Comhshaol, Pobal agus Rialtas Áitiúil Environment, Community and Local Government EPA Inside Pages NEW_Blue Text 31/08/2011 15:24 Page 1 Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is REGULATING IRELAND’S GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS a statutory body responsible for protecting n Quantifying Ireland’s emissions of greenhouse gases the environment in Ireland. We regulate and in the context of our Kyoto commitments. police activities that might otherwise cause n Implementing the Emissions Trading Directive, pollution. We ensure there is solid involving over 100 companies who are major information on environmental trends so that generators of carbon dioxide in Ireland. necessary actions are taken. Our priorities are protecting the Irish environment and ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ensuring that development is sustainable. n Co-ordinating research on environmental issues (including air and water quality, climate change, The EPA is an independent public body biodiversity, environmental technologies). established in July 1993 under the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992. STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Its sponsor in Government is the Department n Assessing the impact of plans and programmes on of the Environment, Community and Local the Irish environment (such as waste management Government. and development plans). ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING, EDUCATION AND OUR RESPONSIBILITIES GUIDANCE n Providing guidance to the public and to industry on LICENSING various environmental topics (including licence We license the following to ensure that their emissions applications, waste prevention and environmental do not endanger human health or harm the environment: regulations). n Generating greater environmental awareness n waste facilities (e.g., landfills, incinerators, (through environmental television programmes and waste transfer stations); primary and secondary schools’ resource packs). n large scale industrial activities (e.g., pharmaceutical manufacturing, cement manufacturing, power plants); PROACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT n intensive agriculture; n Promoting waste prevention and minimisation n the contained use and controlled release of projects through the co-ordination of the National Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs); Waste Prevention Programme, including input into the implementation of Producer Responsibility n large petrol storage facilities; Initiatives. n waste water discharges. n Enforcing Regulations such as Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and Restriction of NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and substances that deplete the ozone layer. n Conducting over 2,000 audits and inspections of EPA licensed facilities every year. n Developing a National Hazardous Waste Management Plan to prevent and manage hazardous waste. n Overseeing local authorities’ environmental protection responsibilities in the areas of - air, noise, waste, waste-water and water quality. MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE OF THE EPA n Working with local authorities and the Gardaí to The organisation is managed by a full time Board, stamp out illegal waste activity by co-ordinating a consisting of a Director General and four Directors. national enforcement network, targeting offenders, conducting investigations and overseeing remediation. The work of the EPA is carried out across four offices: n n Prosecuting those who flout environmental law and Office of Climate, Licensing and Resource Use damage the environment as a result of their actions. n Office of Environmental Enforcement n Office of Environmental Assessment MONITORING, ANALYSING AND REPORTING ON THE n Office of Communications and Corporate Services ENVIRONMENT n Monitoring air quality and the quality of rivers, The EPA is assisted by an Advisory Committee of twelve lakes, tidal waters and ground waters; measuring members who meet several times a year to discuss water levels and river flows. issues of concern and offer advice to the Board. n Independent reporting to inform decision making by national and local government. EPA STRIVE Programme 2007–2013 Management Strategies for the Protection of High Status Water Bodies (2010-W-DS-3) STRIVE Report Prepared for the Environmental Protection Agency by RPS Group Evelyn Moorkens & Associates Trinity College Dublin Authors: Bernadette Ní Chatháin, Evelyn Moorkens and Kenneth Irvine ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY An Ghníomhaireacht um Chaomhnú Comhshaoil PO Box 3000, Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford, Ireland Telephone: +353 53 916 0600 Fax: +353 53 916 0699 Email: [email protected] Website: www.epa.ie © Environmental Protection Agency 2012 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report is published as part of the Science, Technology, Research and Innovation for the Environment (STRIVE) Programme 2007–2013. The programme is financed by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan 2007–2013. It is administered on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government by the Environmental Protection Agency which has the statutory function of co-ordinating and promoting environmental research. DISCLAIMER Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the material contained in this publication, complete accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Neither the Environmental Protection Agency nor the author(s) accept any responsibility whatsoever for loss or damage occasioned or claimed to have been occasioned, in part or in full, as a consequence of any person acting, or refraining from acting, as a result of a matter contained in this publication. All or part of this publication may be reproduced without further permission, provided the source is acknowledged. The EPA STRIVE Programme addresses the need for research in Ireland to inform policymakers and other stakeholders on a range of questions in relation to environmental protection. These reports are intended as contributions to the necessary debate on the protection of the environment. EPA STRIVE PROGRAMME 2007–2013 Published by the Environmental Protection Agency, Ireland ISBN: 978-1-84095-482-1 Price: Free Online version ii Details of Project Partners Dr Bernadette Ní Chatháin Dr Evelyn Moorkens RPS Group Evelyn Moorkens & Associates Lyrr Building 53 Charleville Square IDA Business and Technology Park, Mervue Rathfarnham Galway Dublin 14 Ireland Ireland Fax: +353 91 400299 Tel.: +353 1 4948500 Tel.: +353 91 400258 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Dr Kenneth Irvine School of Natural Sciences Zoology Building Trinity College University of Dublin Dublin 2 Ireland Tel.: +353 1 8961366 Email: [email protected] iii Table of Contents Acknowledgements ii Disclaimer ii Details of Project Partners iii Executive Summary vii 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Change in Project Scope and Key Deliverables 1 1.3 Context for this Discussion Document 2 1.4 Relevance of this Discussion Document 4 2 Legal Protection 6 2.1 Legislation Overview 6 2.2 The WFD 6 3 High Status Water Bodies – Current Status and Spatial Extent 12 3.1 Introduction 12 3.2 High Status Water Bodies (2007–2009) 12 3.3 High Status Water Bodies by County (2007–2009) 15 3.4 Summary of High Status Surface Water Bodies by County 24 3.5 Decline in High Status Site Numbers 24 3.6 Overlap between High Status Sites and Protected Areas 28 4 Management Strategies 35 4.1 Introduction 35 4.2 Catchment Delineation and Prioritisation for Protection 36 4.3 Establishment of a Spatial Network of High Status Waters 44 4.4 Establishment of a ‘Blue Dot’ Monitoring System 45 4.5 Potential Additional Measures 46 4.6 Assessment of Potential Impacts 54 4.7 Planning/Licensing Control and Assessment of Cumulative Impacts 60 4.8 Centralised GIS Database – or Activities Database 63 4.9 Integrated Monitoring and Protection 64 4.10 Unregulated Activities 64 4.11 Public Awareness 65 4.12 Summary 67 v 5 Case Studies 69 5.1 Introduction 69 5.2 Case Study 1 – The Caragh Catchment, Co. Kerry 69 5.3 Case Study 2 – The Oily Catchment, Co. Donegal – Outside the cSAC Network 83 5.4 Conclusions from the Case Studies 91 References 92 Glossary and Acronyms 97 Appendix 1 101 Appendix 2 113 vi Executive Summary In December 2010, the Environmental Protection 2Key Points Agency (EPA) appointed RPS in conjunction with University College Dublin, Trinity College, and Evelyn • To date, the key focus in the implementation of the Moorkens & Associates, to undertake a desk study WFD has largely been on the objective that all with overall aims as follows: water bodies meet at least good status by 2015. The WFD environmental objective that specifies no • To review existing legislation relevant to the deterioration has received far less attention. protection and management of high status sites and its interaction with other legislation; • The need to stem the degradation of high status sites merits high priority, not least because • To review best practice on protecting high status preventing or addressing small impacts is a sites in other European states; and feasible option, and likely much more cost- effective than large-scale restoration to good • To suggest new approaches to ensuring that high status for sites at moderate status or worse. status water bodies remain at high status. • The importance of the decline of high status sites 1 Background is not confined to a breach of a European Directive, but is of fundamental significance