A Co-ordinated Catchment Management Approach

Kildare is located in both the Eastern River Basin District (Boyne and Liffey River Catchments) www.erbd.ie and the South Eastern River Basin District (Barrow River Catchment) www.serbd.com.  In accordance with the EU Water framework Directive all waters within Europe must achieve a minimum standard of Good Status by 2015.  For further information on the implementation of the Water Framework Directive in Ireland see www.wfdireland.ie. 

Kildare County Council is taking a co-ordinated approach together with Meath, Offaly and Westmeath County Councils in working to achieve the water quality standards required by the Water Framework Directive in the Boyne Upper River Catchment.

The Boyne Upper crosses the boundary of four local authorities.  Kildare contains 20% of the Boyne Upper River Catchment.  The remainder is located in Meath (20%), Offaly (30%) and Westmeath (30%).  The catchment consists of 120 km of River Length.  The  predominant land-use is agriculture with 68% of the land in pasture. 

A risk based approach is being taken to address the main pressures on water quality in the Boyne Upper.  These pressures include agriculture, wastewater treatment plants, unsewered urban development, quarries, industrial discharges, motorway drainage, impacts from peatlands and septic tanks.  The existing condition of our waters, known as ‘Status’, was determined by the Environmental Protection Agency using water quality, ecology and morphology monitoring data.  www.epa.ie  

Kildare County Council commenced investigative and inspection work in the Boyne Upper in January 2009.  This work includes investigative water sampling combined with inspections (agricultural, industrial, wastewater treatment plants etc), public awareness and education.  Using a risk based approach, the initial surveys are being carried out in the Boyne and Glash River sub-catchments, where the Status indicated that these areas were at risk of not acheiving the requirements of the Directive. 

This catchment based approach to improving water quality in the Eastern River Basin District is also happening in the South Eastern River Basin District.  Already, investigative survey and inspection work has commenced in the Greese Upper River Catchment where Kildare and Wicklow County Councils are the competent authorities. 

As part of this work, a number of schools were visited by staff from the Environment Section to promote the Environmental Awareness of the Directive and also to encourage Public Participation during the 6 month consultation period for the Draft River Basin Management Plans.  In general, the visit involved the showing of a DVD on the implementation of the Water Framework Directive in Ireland, a powerpoint presentation of the investigative work being carried out in the catchment, and a demonstration of how macroinvertebrates are used as indicators of water quality.

Thank you to the Principal, Staff Teacher and pupils of the following schools visited earlier this year! 

Useful Links: 

http://kildare.ie/CountyCouncil/Environment/WaterFrameworkDirective/  

http://www.wfdireland.ie/

http://www.erbd.ie/

http://www.serbd.com/

http://www.farmersjournal.ie/2009/0328/farmmanagement/farmbuildings/feature.shtml for article in The Farmers Journal 28^th March 2009 "Council inspects Kildare Farmyard"

Last updated 19/08/2009