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Save the date: UK & Ireland Lakes Network (UKILN) Conference 2025

UK & Ireland Lakes Network (UKILN) Conference 2025 will be held on 14–15 October in Killarney, Co. Kerry, Ireland.

This year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA Ireland) is proud to host the UKILN Conference in Killarney. The 2025 theme is “Mirrors of Change: Reflections on Irish Lakes Past, Present and Future.”

This marks the third time Ireland has hosted the UKILN Conference. It also commemorates key milestones:

50 years since the first national survey of Irish lakes
40 years since the first State of the Environment report
The recent 2024 release of Lakes in Ireland – Mirrors of Change

The conference offers a chance to reflect on the past, assess current conditions, and explore the future of Irish lakes.

Conference schedule

Tuesday, 14 October – Presentations & Discussions:

Session 1: Lough Leane & Kerry Lakes – Explore local lakes through the lens of water quality, conservation, and human impact.
Session 2: Lake Restoration – Hear about ongoing restoration efforts across Ireland and beyond.
Session 3: Citizen Science – Discover how individuals and communities are making a difference.
Session 4: Reflections – Insights from long-time lake experts, ending with a relaxed fireside chat.

Wednesday, 15 October – Fieldtrip (Details to follow)

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.