Thursday, August 17, 2006

Water quality for the period 2003 - 2005

In August 2006, the Environmental Protection Agency released a report on surface and groundwater quality for the period 2003 - 2005. Some findings were:
  • approximately 23 per cent of groundwater locations examined in 2005 exceeded Ireland's national guidelines value for nitrate concentration for drinking water and 2 per cent breached the mandatory limit
  • The increase in nitrate values in some rivers coincided with the demise of the pollution-sensitive pearl mussel. Diffuse, agricultural sources appeared to be the main source of elevated nitrate concentrations
  • While 90 per cent of the lakes examined were in a satisfactory condition, this represented a slight deterioration compared to the 2001-2003 period. Of 421 lakes assessed, water quality in 68 was less than satisfactory, and13 were classified as highly polluted
  • Fish kills remain at an unacceptably high level (45 fish kills recorded in 2005). These are largely caused by agriculture, industry and local authority services activities.
  • The overall quality in estuarine and coastal water bodies showed improvement, with a decline from twelve to ten in the number of water bodies being classified as eutrophic.

Read the press release and report at http://www.epa.ie/NewsCentre/PressReleases/MainBody,10209,en.html

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The island of ireland

Once upon a time, and for 15000 years, ice a mile high blanketed Ireland. When the lingering Ice Age finally released and the Irish ice departed it left a landscape scoured. Across land bridges linking Ireland, Britain and mainland Europe plants and animals arrived to colonise the new lowlands, mountains and valleys. The world’s ice continued to melt, the sea levels to rise, and some 8000 years ago Ireland became the island we now know, accounting for just 0.01% of the world's total land area and the most westerly point of Europe.

Though at Alaskan latitudes, the country's climate is tempered, due partly to the neighbouring waters of the Gulf Stream and partly the prevailing southwesterlies that veering and backing make landfall on our sodden coast. These offerings from the Atlantic mean it is never too hot, never too cold. But without doubt it is wet. Rain lingers year round, never far away, though is most frequent in winter, the western counties and, inevitably, on the day of your parade.