Catchment News

Home News Status 2009-2015

Status 2009-2015


Version
Download	56
Stock	∞
Total Files	7
Size	2.59 MB
Create Date	29th August 2009
Last Updated

The EU Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) establishes a framework for the protection, improvement and management of surface and ground waters.

he overall aim for surface waters, which include rivers, lakes, transitional (estuaries and lagoons) and coastal waters, is to achieve at least ‘good ecological status’ and ‘good chemical status’, by 2015, as well as preventing deterioration in those waters that have been classified as ‘high’ or ‘good’.

These environmental objectives and the measures required to achieve them are to be identified and presented in individual River Basin Management Plans.

An essential step in this process will be the classification of the status of all waterbodies which in turn will assist in identifying the objectives that must be set in the individual RBMPs.

The interim classification of as of October 2008 is presented here.

File	Action
ShannonIRBD_GW_Interim_Status_Explanatory_Note_Dec08.pdf	Download
Rivers_Interim_Status_Explanatory_Note_Nov_2008.doc	Download
Interim_Lakes_Status.pdf	Download
Heavily Modified Water Body_Status.pdf	Download
EC_intercalibration_decision.pdf	Download
Classification_Transitional_Coastal.pdf	Download
Artifical Water Body_Status.pdf	Download

Download

About author

EPA Catchments Unit

Administrator

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.

Who 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.