This presentation was given at the 2019 Catchment Management Notwork meeting, which was held on the 11 October in Tullamore. All our local authorities and other bodies responsible for implementing the Water Framework Directive in Ireland attended to share knowledge and learn from each other.

1. Implementing the Flood Risk
Management Plans
- Natural Water Retention Measures
Conor Galvin
11 October 2019

2. 2 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
Objective of the Presentation
What are the Flood Risk Management Plans?
What do they say about Natural Water Retention Measures?
How are we implementing the FRMP w.r.t NWRM?

3. 3 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
Natural Water Retention Measures
..multi-functional measures that aim to protect and manage water
resources and address water-related challenges by restoring or
maintaining ecosystems as well as natural features and
characteristics of water bodies using natural means and
processes.

4. 4 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
Environment Agency 2017 Working with Natural Processes Evidence Directory

5. 5 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
TheEddlestonWaterProjectTweedForum,Scotland

6. 6 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
Belford,Run-offAttenuationFeature,UniversityofNewcastle/EA

7. 7 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
What are the Flood Risk Management Plans?

9. 9 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
What do Plans say about Natural Water Retention
Measures?

10. 10 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
FRM Plans – Measure Applicable in all Areas
The OPW will work with the Environment Protection Agency, Local
Authorities and other agencies during the project-level
assessments of physical works and more broadly at a catchment-
level to identify any measures, such as natural water retention
measures, that can have benefits for Water Framework Directive,
flood risk management and biodiversity objectives.

11. 11 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
How are we implementing the Flood Risk Management
Plans w.r.t Natural Water Retention Measures?

12. 12 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
FRMP – Implementation w.r.t NWRM
1. Flood Relief Schemes
2. Natural Water Retention Measures Working Group
3. Research & Pilots

13. 13 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
FRMP – Implementation w.r.t NWRM
1. Flood Relief Schemes
2. Natural Water Retention Measures Working Group
3. Research & Pilots

14. 14 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
Flood Relief Schemes & NWRM
• 118 Flood Relief Schemes proposed in the Plans
• 57 of 118 are being progressed in the first phase
• OPW FRS Template Brief – to be tailored by the project steering groups

15. 15 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
Flood Relief Schemes Template Project Brief
Stage I: Scheme Analysis and Development
‘….produce Potential for Natural Water Retention Measures
(NWRM) Maps covering the Study Area by adapting the
methodology applied by the Scottish Environment Protection
Agency…...’

16. 16 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
Opportunity Mapping

17. 17 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
Feasibility Assessment
‘Building upon the Potential for NWRM Maps, the Consultant
shall carry out a NWRM Feasibility Assessment …....’.

18. 18 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
Measure Group Specific NWRM Main Action
Woodland creation Catchment woodlands Runoff reduction
Floodplain woodlands Runoff reduction/floodplain
storage
Riparian woodlands Runoff reduction/floodplain
storage
Land management Land and soil management
practices
Runoff reduction
Agricultural and upland drainage
modifications
Runoff reduction
Non-floodplain wetlands Runoff reduction
Overland sediment traps Runoff reduction/sediment
management
River and floodplain restoration River bank restoration Sediment management
River morphology and floodplain
restoration
Floodplain storage/sediment
management
Instream structures (e.g. large
woody debris)
Floodplain storage
Washlands and offline storage
ponds
Floodplain storage
NWRM for Assessment

19. 19 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
Feasibility Assessment
To include assessment of their costs, delivery routes, and
their potential to:
• reduce flood risk
• to mitigate the flood risk impacts of Climate Change
• to mitigate the environmental impacts of the Scheme
• to meet other objectives

20. 20 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
Multiple Benefits
Potential to meet objectives:
• water quality
• habitat creation
• climate regulation
• provision of amenity
Liaise with other bodies to determine these benefits:
• EPA
• Local Authority Water Programme (LAWPRO)
• Local Authorities
• NPWS
• Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment

21. 21 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
NWRM in the Flood Relief Scheme
Develop the measures as part of the scheme:
• where feasible to contribute to flood reduction or
• to mitigate of the environmental impacts
May include NWRM that do not provide protection to the full
required Standard of Protection of the Scheme

22. 22 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
FRMP – Implementation w.r.t NWRM
1. Flood Relief Schemes
2. Natural Water Retention Working Group
3. Research & Pilots

23. 23 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
Natural Water Retention Measures Working Group
• RBMP 2018-2021 - National Technical Implementation
Group develop proposal for including NWRM to
contribute to achieving environmental objectives
• NWRM Working Group set-up to advise NTIG
• Two meetings to-date, work on-going..
• Forum for collaboration

24. 24 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
FRMP – Implementation w.r.t NWRM
1. Flood Relief Schemes
2. Natural Water Retention Measures Working Group
3. Research & Pilots

25. Body Level One
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25 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
Irish Research Council – Enterprise Partnership Scheme
The ecosystem services of Ireland’s forests for flood protection and
water quality
4-year PhD research
Commenced March 2019
IRC / OPW funded

26. Body Level One
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26 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
The ecosystem services of Ireland’s forests for flood
protection and water quality
Assess the potential for NWRM to reduce flood risk and improve water
quality for forested catchments in Ireland
• GIS-based mapping techniques
• Hydrological modelling
• Field demonstrations
Develop a portfolio of potential approaches to reduce flood risk and
generate multiple benefits

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27 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
EPA Research – Water Research Call 2018
SLOWWATERS - A Strategic Look at Natural Water
Retention Measures
• Large-scale; 4-year project; Budget up to €500k
• Commenced February 2019
• Professor Mary Bourke led
• TCD, UCC, The James Hutton Institute, Newcastle University

28. Body Level One
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28 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
SLOW WATERS - A Strategic Look at Natural Water Retention
Measures
Assess the benefits of NWRM for
agricultural catchments in Ireland.
Develop approaches to reduce
flood risk and generate multiple
benefits.
Evaluate the practicalities of uptake
of NWRM on Irish farms.

29. 29 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
Objective of the Presentation
What are the Flood Risk Management Plans?
Whole of Government approach to managing flood risk

30. 30 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
Objective of the Presentation
What do they say about Natural Water Retention Measures?
We will work with the EPA, LAs and others during FRS
development and at a catchment-level to identify measures that
can have multiple benefits

31. 31 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
Objective of the Presentation
How are we implementing the FRMP w.r.t NWRM?
NWRM - explicit requirements in our FRS brief
Research and Pilot Studies underway
NWRM Working Group - ongoing

32. 32 Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí | Office of Public Works
Contacts and Links
Conor Galvin:
conor.galvin@opw.ie
Flood Risk Management Plans:
www.floodinfo.ie