Catchment News

The purpose of this guidance is primarily to provide information on Habitats Directive Annex 1 and 2 listed water dependent habitats and species, on their occurrence and conservation status in Ireland generally, and within Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) protected for nature conservation under the Habitats Directive in particular. The maintenance or improvement of the status of water is an important factor in their protection. It also provides measures to protect water bodies at high status as assigned by the EPA under the interim status classification and also catchment areas of monitoring sites indicated to be at high status.

Water dependent Habitats Directive Annex 1 listed habitats and their associated Annex 2 listed species have been grouped into broad themes, with the aim of identifying the landscape, land-use, and water status issues that arise, and how these interact with nature conservation objectives, and the existing pressures on them as identified in the conservation status reporting which has recently been completed by NPWS under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive.