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.
The EPA has published Research Report No 187: ESManage Literature Review – Ecosystem Services in Freshwaters. This Literature Review considers how […]
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Firstly, a huge congratulations to Inishowen Rivers Trust – the newest Rivers Trust in Ireland. Inishowen Rivers Trusts aims to […]
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The June 2016 issue of the Catchments Newsletter had several articles telling The Story of the Suir. You can find all […]
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As environmental hydrology continues to grow in importance, both researchers and practitioners remain on the look-out for investigative techniques to […]
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Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for crop production, but is easily mobilised to surface waters from heavy soils during rainfall […]
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A workshop by the Local Authority Waters and Communities Office, WaterLIFE & IRD Duhallow was held on Monday 16th and Tuesday […]
Read More In Ireland, we are never far from at least one of our natural waters, be they our rivers, lakes, transitional, […]
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So ……we know that a rural stream is polluted (e.g. Ecological Quality value = 3-4; mean phosphate concentrations = 0.05 and […]
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Why Monitor? Water does not exist in its pure form in the natural environment, it is truly reflective of its surroundings, […]
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Currently the EPA is evaluating the sources of pollution or pressures (called ‘significant pressures’) causing unsatisfactory water quality as a […]
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.