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Ireland's Approach to Designating Water Bodies for Flood Risk Management - SWRBD Project Presentation

This presentation outlines Ireland's approach to the designation of water bodies for flood risk management, focusing on the steps and outcomes of Article 5 screening and the implementation of flood protection measures. The presentation covers the pilot cases of the River Fergus and Feale & Cashen Estuaries, as well as the applicability of these pilots to other water bodies. Additionally, it discusses current focus areas, including the establishment of the MEP GEP and the development of alternative measures for flood risk management.

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Ireland's Approach to Designating Water Bodies for Flood Risk Management - SWRBD Project Presentation

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  1. WFD & Flood Risk Management February 26 - 27, 2008 Parallel Session 1a: Ireland’s Approach to designation Cliona Ní Eidhin – SWRBD Project

  2. Presentation Outline • CIS Steps 1-6: Article 5 screening – pHMWBs • CIS Steps 7-11: • Approach • Flood Protection • Current focus 8 RBDs: 4 ROI 3 international 1 NI

  3. Article 5 reporting ‘05

  4. Steps 1-6: Article 5 - approach • Screening for the identification of provisional HMWBs: • Article 5 Morphological risk assessment • Article 5 Hydrological risk assessment • Pressures examined: • Morphological: channelisation, dredging and river straightening, flood protection and embankments, impounding, water regulation; and intensive land use. • Hydrological: abstractions, flow regulation • methodologies and thresholds developed with reference to NI and UK TAG approaches towards harmonisation 490 1a water bodies

  5. Steps 1-6: Article 5 - outcome • Expert review • 37 pHMWBs reported % of total number of wbs

  6. Steps 1-6: Article 5 - outcome Examples…

  7. pHMWB Examples Ports & Related Activity – Killybegs Harbour, Co. Donegal (NWRBD)

  8. pHMWB Examples Drinking Water Supply – Vartry system, Co. Wicklow (EaRBD) Images courtesy EPA

  9. Power Generation & Drinking Water Supply – Inniscarra Reservoir, Co. Cork

  10. pHMWB Examples Flood Protection – Feale & Cashen Estuary

  11. Steps 7-11: Post Article 5 • National studies were initiated to • tackle areas of uncertainty • Produce programmes of measures for the RBMP

  12. Study Objectives: pHMWBs Restoration measures test Alternative means test Delivering to RBMP 2008

  13. Steps 7-11: Approach • Pilot cases selected to represent each specified use: • Each pilot examined in accordance with: • WFD designation tests • Restoration Measures Test – Article 4 (3) (a) • Alternative Means Test – Article 4 (3) (b) • UK TAG Rapid Designation – checking mechanism • Towards roll-out to the National pHMWB list: • Key decision points / junctures were identified • Applicability to other pHMWBs of same use was appraised pAWB approached similarly: pilot case & national application

  14. Steps 7-11: Approach • General principles • CIS recommendation ofPragmatic approach adopted • Economic assessment where determined by complexity of case • Rollout: 37 water bodies – relevant water body specific factors could be considered. • CIS designation test sub-steps formed basis for examination of each pilot

  15. Steps 7-11 - Flood protection • Two flood protection-related pHMWB pilots: • River Fergus: Tidal Barrage & embankments scheme • Feale & Cashen estuaries: channelisation & embankments scheme • Pilot 1:Fergus Tidal Barrage: Ennis • 2 river water body pHMWBs • Tidal limit changed– category change • Embankments throughout • Bank reinforcement in urban areas • Backwatering- lost spawning habitat • Barrier to fish migration Clarecastle

  16. Steps 7-11 - Flood protection • Restoration Measures test (Art. 4(3)(a)

  17. Steps 7-11 - Flood protection • Alternative Means test (Art. 4(3)(b)

  18. The proposal to designate was approved by the HMWB & AWB Study Steering Group.

  19. Steps 7-11 - Flood protection • Pilot 2: Feale and Cashen estuaries: • Agricultural land uses, primarily • Designation Tests 4(3)a and 4(3)b concluded that further study required. • Gap: classification of status. • Trac MImAS run on this case for indication & support further study

  20. Steps 7-11 - Flood protection • Applicability of pilots to other pHMWBs: • River Fergus Urban Flood Protection Pilot: applicable to: • Santry River, Dublin. (ERBD) • River Breagagh, Kilkenny. (SERBD) • Some issues encountered • WFD Status classification not available: • Due to lack of monitoring data for many WFD Ecological Status elements, especially hydromorphology • Particular issue for borderline cases • Presented difficulty re: estimating achievement of GES & estimating restoration measures - Art.4(3)a • Scale issues: addressed in ROI before Article 5 characterisation: • Water body delineation considered profound pressures. Example: ports

  21. Did we miss any pHMWBs at Art.5 stage? • Refinement of morphological & hydrological risk assessment thresholds • Freshwater Morphology • Marine morphology • Abstractions study • Reapplication of refined Risk assessment thresholds will be potentially flag new pHWMBS • Other additions: newly delineated cross border water bodies . (River Erne u/s Belleek)

  22. Current focus • Supporting EPA on establishment of MEP GEP • Two suggested approaches: • UK TAGs development of the alternative ‘measures’ approach- useful to Ireland- trialling of UK approach on each of the Pilot cases just started. • Study underway to on how to approach biological assessment of HMWBs and to compare the biology approach with the ‘alternative’ measures approach. • National application report includes harmonisation review, jointly prepared with NI. International workshops valuable. • Stakeholder consultation – by sector • Ports • Hydropower • Flood Protection • Drinking water supply

  23. Contact Details Cliona Ní Eidhin SWRBD Project Mott MacDonald Pettit 5 Eastgate Avenue Little Island Cork Ireland cliona.nieidhin@mottmacpettit.ie www.swrbd.ie www.wfdireland.ie

  24. Thank you

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