€20m project to help restore Cork rivers’ quality

TWO Cork towns have been selected as part of a €20m project which aims to restore the quality of local rivers.

The Waters of Life strategic project will see the water quality in the Shournagh River near Blarney and the Awbeg River near Kanturk return to “pristine condition”.

Managed by the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage, the strategic project involves 16 partners including government departments, State agencies, local authorities, and local development companies, with an overall budget of €20,369,805.

Of that funding, €9.5m has been committed by the European Union.

The aim of the project is to reverse the long-term trend of decline in Ireland’s “high status” waters.

High-status rivers are those considered to be in pristine condition and rich in biodiversity and Ireland is one of a small number of EU member states that still has a number of high-status water bodies.

However, the number of remaining high-status sites has declined from 31.5% (1987-1990) to 19.9% (2017-2020), representing an almost 37% decline in number according to EPA data.

Speaking at the project launch, Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan, said: “The ongoing loss of high-status waters is among the most concerning, protracted, and persistent water quality trends in Ireland. High-status water bodies are a precious resource and it is imperative that we not only halt, but reverse their decline.

“The six high status rivers selected for this scheme — and the communities, industries and local economy surrounding them — will benefit greatly from the implementation of locally tailored solutions to be delivered through this scheme. No doubt many learnings will be found and can be applied to our future efforts to preserve and improve our high-status waters.”

The decline of water quality along the Shournagh River in recent years is believed to have been caused by agriculture, hydromorphology, domestic wastewater, and urban runoff, according to recent fieldwork carried out for the project.

Similarly, significant pressure has been placed on the Awbeg near Kanturk due to agriculture and hydromorphology, meaning the physical features of the environment that is holding the water in place has comprised the water quality.

The Island River in the Galway/Roscommon area near Ballymoe, rivers in the catchment of Lough Graney, Co Clare, the Avonmore, Co Wicklow, and the Sheen in Kerry will join the two Cork rivers as part of the scheme.

Key objectives of the Waters of Life strategic project up to 2028 will be to increase understanding of the causes of status change in these types of rivers, which can be sensitive to even minor land management changes within a catchment.

It also aims to enhance public awareness of the ecology, ecosystems, and natural capital of high-status waters and their catchments and to develop locally tailored solutions in consultation with local landowners and communities.

This will include development of a results-based agricultural payments scheme, which will be implemented in three of the six catchments.

Minister Noonan concluded: “With 16 partners involved, this project will be highly collaborative in nature and the shared expertise among these partners will bring great benefit to the scheme. I also look forward to working together with the communities and landowners in each of the selected regions to bring out the best in these rivers.”