The ecological status of Irish water bodies such as rivers, lakes and estuaries are being threatened by multiple stressors and not just agriculture.

Catchment manager with the local authority water programme (LAWPRO) Ruth Hennessy said her team of water catchment scientists were responsible for monitoring and helping to improve water quality in 726 water bodies throughout Ireland.

“Of the 726 water bodies that we monitor, agriculture is a significant stressor in 359 of these. But in every water catchment there is multiple stressors on water quality and the ecological status of the water body,” said Hennessy, who was speaking on Friday morning as part of the latest Signpost Series of online webinars on sustainable agriculture hosted by Teagasc.

Nutrients

When it comes to agriculture, Hennessy said nitrogen and phosphorus were the two nutrients of most concern in terms of their impact on water quality.

One of the biggest positives I see in terms of water quality in Ireland is the level of engagement from farmers

However, by using soil type maps and understanding water flows on land, Hennessy said her team at LAWPRO are working closely with Teagasc advisors and the dairy industry as part of the ASSAP water quality programme to implement targeted measures such as riparian strips and buffer zones close to water bodies to reduce nutrient run-off into rivers and lakes.

“One of the biggest positives I see in terms of water quality in Ireland is the level of engagement from farmers and all stakeholders in the ASSAP programme,” said Hennessy.

“Farmers in particular do see the need to be able to demonstrate they are farming sustainably and not damaging the environment. There are a lot of challenges for farmers but no farmer intends to damage the environment.

“So it’s no surprise farmers have been really engaged in what they can do to help improve water quality,” she added.