Bathing Water Profile - Loughrea Lake (2013)

Transcription

1 Bathing Water Profile - Loughrea Lake (2013) Bathing Water: Loughrea Lake Bathing Water Code: IEWEBWL29_194_0100 Local Authority: Galway County Council River Basin District: Western Monitoring Point: E, N 1. Profile Details: Profile Id: BWPR00181 Toilets Available: Year Of Profile: 2013 Car Parking Available: Year Of Identification 1992 Disabled Access: Version Number: 1 First Aid Available: Sensitive Area: Dogs Allowed: Lifesaving Facilities: Figure 1: Bathing Water

2 2. Bathing Water Details: Map 1: Bathing Water Location & Extent Bathing Water location and extent: Location: Loughrea Lake bathing area is located 35 km east of Galway City on the N6, directly south of Loughrea Town. The bathing area, also know locally as Long Point is situated on the eastern shore of Lough Rea. The lake is located in the Clarin/Kilcolgan Water Management Unit of the Western River Basin District. Extent: The bathing area is approximately 500m2. Main features of the Bathing Water: Type of Bathing Water: The bathing area is a major recreational feature of Loughrea Town and is frequented by people throughout the year. It is situated in a shallow relatively sandy area of the lake between a man made pier on the west and a small beach on the eastern end. The lake bed is a mixture of gravel and sand. Vegetation is generally not present in the bathing area and is unlikely to interfere with bathers. Water transparency in the lake is high. The sandy beach is popular with families as the depth of the water is shallow. The water at the end of the pier is deep and unsuitable for anyone who cannot swim. Water Depth and Tidal Range: Loughrea Lake bathing area has a microtidal range (<2m) with a medium depth of 1 metre and a maximum depth of 3 metres. The lake is generally calm however it can be subject to strong wave action and currents. Flora/Fauna Riparian Zone: The lake is of considerable ornithological interest and is a designated Special Protection Area (SPA) and Natural Heritage Area (NHA). Species of birds that may be present are Mute Swan (Cygnus olor), Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Black Headed Gulls (Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba), Golden Eye (Bucephala clangula), Coot (Fulica atra), Moor Hen (Gallinula chloropus), Tufted Duck (Aythyaa fuligula), Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) and Shoveler (Anas clypeata). There are areas of wet woodland to the south east of the bathing area and on the sheltered western and south-eastern shores of the lake some areas of reed swamp, wet grassland and wet woodland are found. Surrounding the bathing area are amenity grounds composed of grassy areas, footpaths, planted trees and shrubs and flower beds. Some of the native trees present in the vicinity of the bathing area are Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris), Birch (Betula spp.), Alder (Alnus spp.) and Ash (Fraxinus spp.). Land use: The area immediately surrounding the bathing area and most of the lake is pasture land. The land is generally low lying and is used predominately for cattle rearing and milk production as well as some tillage. Livestock and fertiliser usage within the catchment are in line with national averages. Loughrea Town extends from the North Eastern to the North Western shore. Information boards are provided at the site. Visitor Numbers: Max. number of visitor during a day in high season: 350 persons Approx number of visitor during the bathing season: 5850 approx.

3 Activities available at the Bathing Water: The lake is suitable for sailing, windsurfing and canoeing and boats can be hired to explore the lake. It is also a popular location for anglers (fishing permit required). Contributing catchment details: Contributing Catchment: Lough Rea is a circular lake with a radius of approximately 1 km (2.5 km at its longest axis), with a surface area of approximately 3.2km2. The underlying geology of the lake is carboniferous limestone. It is fed by springs and a stream. The bathing area is in the Clarin/Kilcolgan Water Management Unit of the Western River Basin District. The area of the water body is approximately 18km². There is one stream flowing into the southern end of the lake and one flowing from the northern end of the lake. Soils/Subsoils and Bedrock: The bedrock varies and includes muddy limestone and lime mudstone. The main subsoil in the area is till derived from limestone with rocky outcrops in areas. The vulnerability of the groundwater in the area varies near the bathing area from low to extreme. Rainfall: Average annual rainfall in the area is 1000 to 1200mm. Mean Rainfall at Claremorris during the period 1961 to 1990 was mm. The month with the highest mean precipitation during this period was December at mm, while April had the lowest mean precipitation at 61.7 mm. However in 2010 the wettest month was July with 198.7mm of rain the driest month was June with 31.8mm. This data indicates that there is a risk of unusual weather events which may contribute to a short-term pollution event. Topography and Land use: There are areas of wet woodland to the south east of the bathing area. On the sheltered western and south-eastern shores of the lake some areas of reed swamp, wet grassland and wet woodland are found. The area immediately surrounding the bathing area and most of the lake is pasture land. The land is generally low lying and is used predominately for cattle rearing and milk production as well as some tillage. Livestock and fertiliser usage within the catchment are in line with national averages. Loughrea Town extends from the North Eastern to the North Western shore. The main pressures identified in the Western RBD plan are agriculture in terms of water quality and abstraction in terms of water quantity. There are also a small number of on-site wastewater treatment systems in the vicinity of the lake which were not identified as a risk in the Western RBD plan. Population Centre: Loughrea town 5062 (CSO, 2011) Formal Designations: Loughrea is a blue flag beach. SPA and SAC site code IE Monitoring point details: The monitoring point is located adjacent to the pier at 162, , Reason for selection of the monitoring point: It is considered to be a suitable location for determining the quality of the water within the bathing area. It is not considered that the water quality varies significantly throughout the identified bathing area. Water quality assessment: Based on the results obtained from , the classification under the Bathing Water Regulations, 2008 was determined as excellent. 3. Identified Pressures:

4 Map 2: Bathing Water Catchment 3.1 Potential pressures in the catchment assessed as posing no risk: Domestic on-site wastewater treatment systems Pressure Posing No Risk Septic Tank No Discharge from Public WWTP. Loughrea WWTP Waste Water Treatment plant No 3.2 Potential pressures in the catchment assessed as posing risk: Nature: Frequency: Duration: Risk Assessment Methodology: Agriculture Pressure Posing Risk Run off from agricultural land Low Risk unknown < 48 hours A risk assessment was carried out as part of the RBD plan. Risk Assessment Results: Details: The risk of short term pollution is low. The risk of short term pollution is low and the most likely cause would be the accidental direct discharge of farmyard effluent to a nearby watercourse or directly into the lake. Management Measures: Farm surveys are carried out on a prioritised basis throughout the county, subject to staff resources, to manage the risk of diffuse pollution from slurry spreading or from farmyard effluent discharging from agricultural buildings. Due to the low risk there are no inspections currently scheduled for this catchment by Galway County Council, however, some inspections may take place as part of Department of Agriculture inspection schedule.

5 3.3 Other Risks: of cyanobacteria: Historic results and experience indicate that the risk of a significant proliferation of Cyanobacteria in this lake is very low. measures for cyanobacteria: of macroalgae: measures for macroalgae: of marine phytoplankton: measures for marine phytoplankton: Additional Information: None 4 Bathing Water Status From Previous Sampling Years: Loughrea Lake Good Good Good Good 5 Contact Details: Contact: Galway County Council bathingwater@galwaycoco.ie Address: Environment Section, Prospect Hill, Galway Phone: