The EPA Catchments Unit is based in Dublin, and the team is involved with catchment science, chemistry, ecology, hydromorphology, modelling, Geographic Information Systems and planning. We work with the wider EPA, all of our local authorities, the Local Authority Waters and Communities Office, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, and other public bodies and Departments to ensure we have the best available data and information about our catchments.
Deborah Meghan, Coillte’s Director of Stewardship, Risk & Advocacy, tells us about a new not-for-profit entity, Coillte Nature, which will […]
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Heritage Week took place this year from 17- 25 August. The theme this year was ’Pastimes|Past Times’. Events took place […]
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Caitríona Cunningham from Clean Coasts tells us about a recent event where the community got involved in birdwatching and a […]
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Local kids in Longford Town learn about water quality, water bugs, and what they can do to help protect their […]
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The latest issue of the Catchments Newsletter is now available to download. You can read the editorial from this issue […]
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Group Water Schemes (GWSs) are community managed water suppliers, primarily in rural Ireland. WIDSOM: Learning from Group Water Schemes, an […]
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Simon O’Rafferty is an EPA-funded researcher who focuses on the design of environmental policy interventions for sustainable behaviour change. In […]
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Groundwater resources in Ireland As the largest store of available fresh water, groundwater is a priceless resource that needs to […]
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Originally published in the Winter 2018 Catchments Newsletter. Catherine Seale, Galway’s Community Water Officer, tells us how Cuan Beo, a […]
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‘Balsam Bashing’ is the term used to describe the removal of the plant Himalayan Balsam, which is an invasive alien […]
Read MoreQuite simply, everyone in Ireland has a role to play. This can be from something as simple as making sure you don’t pollute your local stream, or a local community working together to establish a Rivers Trust to enhance the rivers and lakes in their area, to a Government Department or Agency helping a Minister implement a new policy to help protect and enhance all our water bodies.
This website has been developed and is maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency, and is a collaboration between the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Local Authority Waters Programme.
The Local Authority Waters Programme coordinates the efforts of local authorities and other public bodies in the implementation of the River Basin Management Plan, and supports local community and stakeholder involvement in managing our natural waters, for everyone’s benefit.
The EPA is responsible for coordinating the monitoring, assessment and reporting on the status of our 4,842 water bodies, looking at trends and changes, determining which waterbodies are at risk and what could be causing this, and drafting environmental objectives for each.
The Department is responsible for making sure that the right policies, regulations and resources are in place to implement the Water Framework Directive, and developing a River Basin Management Plan and Programme of Measures to protect and restore our waters.