Floodplains: a natural system to preserve and restore
The preservation and restoration of Europe’s largely degraded floodplains must be better prioritised according to the European Environment Agency report […]
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Articles by category
Public Consultation: Significant Water Management Issues for Ireland’s 2022-2027 River Basin Management Plan
The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (DHPLG) has published a document outlining the Significant Water Management Issues for […]
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Presentations from the 2019 Catchment Management Network meeting
The 2019 Catchment management Network meeting was held on 11 October in Tullamore. Ireland’s local authorities and other bodies with […]
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Ireland’s woodlands and forests: a renewed focus under the second cycle of the River Basin Management Plan
Kevin Collins and Ken Bucke, Forestry Inspectors with the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine, provide us with an […]
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National Hydrometric Monitoring Programme 2018-2021
In 2018, the EPA published a National Hydrometric Monitoring Programme for 2018-2021 to coordinate the collection and analysis of information […]
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Significant Pressures: Forestry
Forestry has been identified as the fourth most prevalent significant pressure, impacting 238 waterbodies or 16% of the 1,460 At […]
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Significant Pressures: Hydromorphology
Hydromorphology is a relatively new discipline which is described in the Water Framework Directive. Hydromorphology is the study of physical […]
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Significant Pressures: Urban Waste Water
Urban Waste Water Treatment Plants and agglomeration networks (UWW) have been identified as a significant pressure in 20 % (291) […]
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Significant Pressures: Agriculture
Agriculture is the most common land use in Ireland, covering approximately 65% of the country. Through the initial characterisation process, […]
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Significant Pressures: Invasive Species
Invasive species are a significant pressure impacting 42 or 1.8% of the 1,460 At Risk water bodies. This total of […]
Read MoreWho is involved?
Quite 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.
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.
Environmental Protection Agency
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.
Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
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.