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Review of potential local measures for mitigating farm impacts in catchments

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Review of potential local measures for mitigating farm impacts in catchments

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The attached review and evaluation of local mitigation measures in respect of farming activities and water management was commissioned by the Catchment Science & Management Unit of the
Environmental Protection Agency.

The review is intended to inform the process of catchment management planning by providing a list of potential measures for selection with some indication of their efficacy and practicality of
implementation, areas suitable for use and acceptability to farmers. The important issue of cost of implementation has not been included here, but cost effectiveness is clearly a vital element of
measures selection and catchment planning that must be addressed.

The measures listed are local mitigation measures; on-farm actions that may be undertaken by a single farmer.

Catchment-wide actions and policy initiatives such as requirements for participation in agri-environment schemes, export of slurry from sensitive or impacted catchments, or extensive land
use changes are not included.

The review focuses on nutrient control (N and P) since these are the major pressures arising from farming in Ireland. Where measures may also be effective in controlling other pollutants (sediments, pathogens or pesticides), or have other beneficial impacts (in terms of biodiversity, flood control or greenhouse gas emissions) this is captured in the review table.

 

About this report:
This review of potential local measures for mitigating farming impacts in catchments was prepared by Tony McNally for the EPA Catchment Science and Management Unit. It was completed in May 2017.

Note: The table of regulatory measures on page 27 has been updated to reflect the Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters Regulations SI No 605 of 2017, which came into effect on 1 January 2018.


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