On 17 and 18 June 2020 the EPA held its National Water Event as an online conference. This year's theme was 'Restoring our waters'. This years event was free to attend. It was the EPA's largest water event ever, with over 1250 attending. To everyone who joined us: thanks for attending; thanks for your probing questions; thanks for your passion; thanks for caring about our waters. We can achieve more working together. Special thanks to all our presenters and the team who worked behind the scenes to make sure this years conference happened. For science and stories about water quality in Ireland, check out www.catchments.ie

1. Two Years on the Ground
Identifying Problems and Fixing Them
Carol McCarthy
The Local Authority Waters Programme
17th June 2020

2. Slide 2

3. The Culture of Rivers
• You cannot cross a river without getting wet (Zulu)
• The river is my brother for it carries my canoe (Indigenous America)
• Time is a river of passing events — a rushing torrent (Greece)
• Follow the river and you will get to the sea (India)
• Small brooks make big rivers (France)
• No one tests the depth of a river with both feet (Ashanti)
• As the wise man looks for a bridge the fool crosses the river (Iran)
• Where the river is deepest it makes the least noise (Spain)
• A great river does not refuse any small streams (Korea)
• Do not push the river, it will flow by itself (Poland)
• Once the last tree is cut and the last river poisoned, you will find you cannot eat your
money (Canada)
• “It is easy to throw something into the river
but hard to get it out again” (India)
Source: https://proverbicals.com/river
Slide 3

4. “Progress is impossible
without change, and those
who cannot change their
minds cannot change
anything”
George Bernard Shaw
Photo: M. McCarthy, Rossbeigh Beach, KerrySlide 4

5. The “numbers” game
Slide 5

6. WFD – It’s a marathon, not a sprint!
Photo: Kinvara marathon, rockandroad.ieSlide 6

7. Caha_020, Cork
Part of Caha PAA
High Ecological Status objective site
• only at Good status since 2015
• At Risk
Part of the Bandon River SAC
• 2 types of habitat
• 2 species (incl. FPM)
Field assessment was undertaken in
Spring-Summer 2019 on main channel
and tributaries
Impacts identified from to the WFD
monitoring point at the outlet (Caha
Bridge)
Slide 7

8. Summary of local catchment assessment findings
Nutrient impacts on main channel and
tributaries (from agricultural pressures,
with diffuse and point sources)
Sediment impacts with bank erosion and
cattle access on main channel
Habitat impact due to hydromorphology
pressure (channelization)
Sediment impact from windfarm
construction
Tree felling – not significant
Litter
Invasive Species
Slide 9

9. Field drains with stone
backfill discharging to river
Finding the Problems
Slide 10

10. Land reclamation and
intensification of agriculture
Slide 11

11. New bog drains
Slide 12

12. Hydromorphological impacts on stream habitat
Slide 13

13. Nutrient and sediment issues
along this tributary
Sensitive taxa present in May
but scarce or absent in August
Sediment plume on kicking.
High macrophyte cover in
channel
Stream has been straightened
and possibly deepened and
widened
Slide 14

14. Peaty field reseeded right up
to the stream
Much of the peaty land that
would be bog or wet
grassland has been turned
into permanent pasture and
improved grassland
Results in sediment in
tributary streams and nutrient
runoff
Slide 15

15. Stream culverted and boulder
embankment installed
Riparian vegetation removed
Slide 16

16. Cattle access and bank
erosion
Slide 17

17. Land reclamation
Stream dug out
Slide 18

18. Significant Pressures – point and diffuse sources
Category Sub-category Impact Assessment
Pressure &
Impact details
Agriculture Pasture
Elevated ortho P, ammonia in water chemistry
samples
Nutrient pollution
Agriculture Agriculture
Elevated ortho P, nitrate and ammonia in water
chemistry samples
Nutrient pollution
Agriculture Farmyards
Pipe discharging to tributary stream from farmyard
– sewage fungus evident
Organic Pollution
Agriculture Pasture
Multiple cattle access points on main channel
(including SAC) and tributary streams: evidence of
bank erosion, sedimentation, poaching of bank
Nutrient pollution
Other significant
impact (sediment)
Hydromorphology
Land
Drainage
Agricultural land 'reclamation' - channelisation of
tributary streams - resectioning, overdeepening,
embankment, removal of riparian vegetation.
Altered habitat due
to morphological
changes
Other
Anthropogenic
Pressures
Windfarms
Siltation from windfarm construction. Elevated
suspended solids in drain immediately d/s of
substation site.
Other significant
impact (sediment)
Slide 19

19. Caha_020 Referrals
• Referral 1 – cattle access points on main channel in SAC
• Referral 2 – piped drain into tributary stream
• Referral 3 – nutrient run-off
• Referral 4 – channelisation of stream, land reclamation
• Referral 5 – stream culvert, re-seeding of peat soils
• Referral 6 – 10 cattle access points on tributaries
• Referral 7 – hydromorphological impacts
• Windfarm construction and associated development
Slide 20

20. Referral – part 1
Slide 21

21. Referral – part 2
Slide 22

22. Referral – part 3
Slide 23

23. Referral – part 4
Slide 24

24. Are we there yet?
Next steps - LAWPRO
• Another two rounds of nutrient chemistry sampling to assess progress on existing
pressures and identify other pressures
• Work with CCC to monitor siltation levels in the stream that drains the windfarm
development
• Monitor sediment levels through the Caha project – establish baseline with advice
from the national hymo and sediment WG
Slide 25

25. Caha Project
• Dairygold and Teagasc advisors have been working
actively with the farmers in the catchment since
mid- 2019, addressing the nutrient and sediment
issues here.
• Great buy-in from farmers here and 9 farmers
located along the most impacted reaches are fully
engaged with the process.
• Champion farmers in the catchment helping to
drive the project.
• With Teagasc and Dairygold assistance and
LAWPRO support, the Caha Project was set up
under the umbrella of the Bandon Rivers Trust.
• NPWS were consulted on the project.
Slide 26

26. Bandon Rivers Trust
Objective is to “conserve, protect, rehabilitate
and improve the rivers, streams, watercourses
and water impoundments of the catchment
comprising the rivers of the River Bandon,
County Cork, including adjacent estuarine and
coastal area, for the advancement of
environmental protection or improvement for
the benefit of the public. This will be achieved
by delivery of on the ground environmental
projects, involving stakeholders and volunteers,
that monitors the health of the river
catchment, and addresses the causes of
deterioration through direct investment in
improvements and by encouraging behaviour
change."
Slide 27

27. • Successful application for €3.3k from Community Water
Development Fund for first step targeted measures:
–Targeted fencing
–Water troughs
–Nose pump
• LAWPRO provided guidance re focus areas.
• Planning to showcase the project for heritage week.
–Inviting the public and landowners on to demo farm (with
stream walk) to highlight what can be achieved through
engagement.
–(Covid) Plan B is to produce a video interviewing local
farmers and stakeholders, talking about the importance of
the Caha river in terms of water quality and biodiversity.
Caha Project
Slide 28

28. Solutions
Use of LESS Technology Vegetated River Bank
Managed Field Margin
Good Buffer Zone
Photo: Peter Comer, ASSAP advisor - MayoSlide 29

29. Good Buffer Zones
Stream
Photos: ASSAPSlide 30

30. Protection of Watercourse – Field Margins & Fencing
Good hedgerow and
managed field margin
Photos: ASSAPSlide 31

31. River Crossings
Bridge constructed in
consultation with IFI
prior to any work
commencing
Photo: ASSAPSlide 32

32. Excessive Management of Channels
Education key for both
landowners and contractors
ASSAP working with
farmers to encourage
revegetating and minimal
maintenance, cleaning only
blocked sections
Photo: ASSAPSlide 33

33. Policy Considerations
• Land Use Planning
– DHPLG preparing detailed planning guidance
• Channel Maintenance
– regulatory framework review
– guidance and training
• Cattle Access Points
– funding for alternative drinking points?
• Riverside Fencing and buffer strips
– funding support?
– buffer land eligible in PAA under BPS if approved by ASSAP advisor
Slide 34

34. Slide 35

35. Conclusion
Success in identifying problems and fixing them requires
o shared ownership of purpose and vision
o a focused, multi-disciplinary, multi-stakeholder approach
o development of local solutions for local problems
o time to build the relationships required to effect meaningful practice change
o policy makers open to a change of approach
o implementation of basic measures by stakeholders
o collaboration on implementation of additional measures
o equitable funding for some additional measures
Slide 36

36. Thank You
And thanks to the Caha Team: Jim Johnson, Ciara Donovan (Dairygold ASSAP), Lane
Giles (Teagasc ASSAP), Maeve Ryan, Paul O’Callaghan, David Hegarty, Cork Co. Co.
staff, Bandon River Trust, Kieran Murphy, Local farmers
Slide 37