The Summer 2024 Catchments Newsletter is now available. This issue includes articles on the EPA’s 2023 Water Quality Indicators report. There’s an update from the Waters of LIFE project on Page 30. Summer 2024 Catchments Newsletter – download now The newsletter first appeared first on Catchments.ie.
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is inviting applications for the above position of Catchment Ecologist on the EU Waters of LIFE Integrated Project. The Open Competition is for a fixed purpose contract ending on 31st March 2028. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) is the Government Department responsible for housing
Residents of East Clare are being invited to share their views on the health of local rivers. Flagmount Digital Hub is the venue for open consultation with the Waters of LIFE project on Tuesday July 30th and Thursday August 1st. Waters of LIFE are an EU-funded project trialling water quality measures that work for local
The EPA’s latest Water Quality Indicator reports an increase in Irish water bodies of the highest quality, but an overall percentage decline. 41 sites were given the highest possible value of Q5 on the Q-value biological index as a measure of ecological health, up from 32 at the end of 2021. Overall, the report concludes
When it comes to water quality, who’s our best story teller? This short video looks to answer the question. The video was produced at the Delour River (Delour_20) in Co. Laois in support of the Blue Dot Programme with support from the Local Authority Water Programme. The waterbody has high ecological status (Perio SW
A new video has been published to mark the second anniversary of the project launch for Waters of LIFE. The short feature contains highlights from the launch event held in Limerick on April 29th 2022. Speakers included Malcolm Noonan T.D. (Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform), Bernadette White (Local Authority Waters Programme &
The Waters of Life Newsletter for Spring 2024 is now live. It’s packed full of updates from project work over the last while including: Project Update: A Fresh Focus On Water Quality EPA Restore Project Desk Studies Of Our Catchments Recommendations for Agri-Environment Payment Scheme Insight and Guidance on Water Quality Solutions Seminar on Natural
Local Catchment Assessments have been presented for the demonstration catchments of the Waters of LIFE Project. The Local Catchment Assessments (LCAs) were prepared by project partner Local Authorities Programme (LAWPRO) staff on behalf of the project and presented to a gathering of Waters of LIFE, LAWPRO and RESTORE project staff at an event in Portlaoise
Progress is being made on the development of a monitoring programme for water quality in Waters of LIFE demonstration catchments. Initiated in November 2023, the RESTORE project will detect change and assess the effectiveness of measures to protect and restore high status objective water bodies. The decline of Ireland’s most pristine waters since the late
The launch of the €60 million “Farming for Water” European Innovation Partnership (EIP) has sharpened the focus on water quality in Ireland. That’s already proving helpful for the Waters of LIFE IP with its focus on High Status Objective Water Bodies, says project manager Anne Goggin. “It’s another move towards paying landowners for ecosystem services
Kick sampling and creepy crawlies are great ways to learn about blue dot water quality. That’s according to Connacht school children who tried catchment science for the first time. The Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) organised stream sampling sessions for children aged 10-12 from six primary schools in County Mayo in May 2023. The aim
The Waters of LIFE Project Manager, Anne Goggin, and Agricultural Scientist for the Awbeg / Kilbrin Project Catchment, Philip Murphy, appeared on the TEAGASC Signpost Series which took place on Friday, 15 December, 2023. The webinar was hosted by Noel Meehan, ASSAP Manager, Teagasc. Anne and Philip discussed the EU Waters of LIFE project, with
A report on Workshops to Develop a Pilot Results-Based Payments Scheme for High Status Rivers has been published. A core objective of the Waters of LIFE Integrated Project is to develop, and trial, a results based payments scheme (RBPS) which has a greater focus than previous RBPS on delivering for water quality in addition to
The “Framework of Best Practice Measures & Guidelines for the Protection & Restoration of High Status River Water Bodies” or “Framework document” is available to all agency advisors, catchment scientists, and practitioners working in the water quality domain – see – Framework of Measures and Best Practice Guidance for High Status Objective River Water Bodies Published
The Waters of LIFE were delighted to be part of a study trip to La Crau in France with the European Forum for Nature Conservation and Pastoralism (EFNCP), looking as some of the ecosystem services provided by farmers and their herds in the area. Staff from the Waters of LIFE were part of a recent
The Waters of LIFE Project Manager, Anne Goggin, was recently a guest on Tom MacSweeney’s Maritime Ireland Podcast. Anne outlined the decline in the number of High Status Waterbodies in Ireland since the 1970’s and described how the Waters of LIFE Project hopes to reverse this decline. You can listen to the full episode be
