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This presentation was given on 26.11.15 at the Catchment Management Network Meeting in Tullamore. The day included presentations on the approach to characterisation for the 2nd Cycle of the Water Framework Directive and how this would involve both the EPA and Local Authorities, along with other public bodies. A key focus was the new Local Authority Water and Communities Office and its role in the 2nd cycle. Presentations on integrating planning and the WFD, the UK 'Love Your River Telford' project and 'The Living Loobagh' from Limerick were also included.

Science

Catchment Management Network Meeting
LAWCO
Local Authority Water and Communities
Office
26th November 2015

Water Framework Directive (WFD)
Legal framework to protect and restore clean water …..
and to ensure its long-term, sustainable use.
Requires the preparation of River Basin Management
Plans (RBMPs)
Three cycles
1st Cycle: 2010-2015,
2nd Cycle: 2016-2021
3rd Cycle: 2022-2027
……”to achieve good ecological status in all waters”.

Establishment of LAWCO
Regional Structure
Operational Structure

DECLG
European Union (Water Policy) Regulations 2014
• Three tier governance framework
• New obligations on Local Authorities in coordinating the
catchment management and public participation elements
of the Water Framework Directive.
• Regional coordination, public participation, and support to
the EPA and Minister in the development and
implementation of River Basin Management Plans
(RBMPs) and Programmes of Measures (POMs).
• Establishment of Regional Water Framework Directive
Offices to deliver on these obligations.

Governance Framework
Tier 3
Public Participation &
Regional
Tier 2
Technical Implementation,
Networking & Reporting
Tier 1
Policy & Oversight
Water Policy Advisory Committee
(DECLG, DAFM, DCENR, DAHG, DH, EPA, CCMA, OPW, LANWFDO)
EPA
LAWCO

LAWCO
Tier 1 and Tier 2
• Assistance
Local Authorities
• Statutory obligations
• Collaboration
• Consistency
Community and Voluntary
• Mobilise and support engagement
Other Stakeholders
• Foster linkages

Elected Members
SPC
LAWCO Committee
LAWCO CE
Regional Chairs
DOS LAWCO
EPA Regional nominee
DECLG
Northern Ireland nominee
Meetings 2-3 times per year
Working Groups
LAWCO
DOS
3 Co-ordinators
3 Support Staff
12 Community Water Officers
Support Staff
Meetings 4-6 times per year
31 Local Authorities
Stakeholders
Proposed Tier 3 Structure
Regional Committee
Regional Chair (CE)
Local Authority DOS
EPA Regional Inspectorate
WFD Co-ordinator
Community/Voluntary

Regional Structures
Putting People First River Basin Districts

3 Regional Coordinators
• Clonmel
• Tullamore
• Carrick-on-Shannon
3 Specialist posts (Clonmel)
• Funding
• Communication
• IT and Administration
12 Community Water Officers (Regional)

Implementation
 Recruitment
 Agree job specifications and complete recruitment process
 Network
 Set up reporting structures
 Structure
 Agree Regional structures with CCMA, EPA and DECLG
 IT
 Design and construct IT system that’s fit for purpose
 Training
 Design and deliver training programme for staff (ESTG and Training Centres)
 Local Authorities
 Deliver message, secure support and engagement from senior staff
 Community and Voluntary
 LCDC and PPNs, support from C&ED
 Monitor and Review

Sampling Programme - 2016
Operational and surveillance monitoring
Rivers and lakes
Workshops
Training

Role of LAWCO
• To promote knowledge sharing and coordination in
implementing RBMPs and POMs by local authorities,
public authorities, sectoral interests and community
groups
• To coordinate/undertake statutorily required public
consultation in development of the RBMPs and
POMs on behalf of the Minister and a public
awareness campaign in water resources
management
• To seek consistency of RBMP implementation across
agencies

• To assist the Minister and the EPA and work
collaboratively with local authorities in the
development of RBMPs and POMs
• To mobilise and support engagement of voluntary
and community groups in protecting our natural
waters.
• To foster linkages with industry and agricultural
sectors
• To develop linkages with local sectoral representative
organisations such as Chamber(s) of Commerce,
county level IFA, angling groups, tidy towns.

This presentation was given on 26.11.15 at the Catchment Management Network Meeting in Tullamore. The day included presentations on the approach to characterisation for the 2nd Cycle of the Water Framework Directive and how this would involve both the EPA and Local Authorities, along with other public bodies. A key focus was the new Local Authority Water and Communities Office and its role in the 2nd cycle. Presentations on the UK 'Love Your River Telford' project and 'The Living Loobagh' from Limerick were also included.

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This presentation was given as part of the EPA-funded Catchment Science and Management Course focusing on Integrated Catchment Management, held in June 2015. This course was delivered by RPS Consultants. If you have any queries or comments, or wish to use the material in this presentation, please contact catchments@epa.ie It is increasingly being recognised internationally that integrated catchment management (ICM) is a useful organising framework for tackling the ongoing challenge of balancing sustainable use and development of our natural resource, against achieving environmental goals. The basic principles of ICM (Williams, 2012) are to: • Take a holistic and integrated approach to the management of land, biodiversity, water and community resources at the water catchment scale; • Involve communities in planning and managing their landscapes; and • Find a balance between resource use and resource conservation ICM is now well established in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. In Europe the ICM approach has been proposed as being required to achieve effective water and catchment management, and is the approach being promoted by DEFRA for the UK, where it is called the “Catchment Based Approach” (CaBA). The principles and methodologies behind ICM sit well within the context of the Water Framework Directive with its aims and objectives for good water quality, sustainable development and public participation in water resource management. In Ireland it is proposed that the ICM approach will underlie the work and philosophy in developing and implementing future River Basin Management Plans.

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This plain English fact sheet outlines the work done by the EPA in monitoring Ireland’s lakes. A total of 225 lakes are currently included as part of the national surface waters monitoring programme run by the EPA, this covers around 80% of the surface area of all lakes in Ireland. This includes: • all lakes greater than 50 hectares • lakes that are used for supplying drinking water • lakes that are of regional, local or scientific interest

EPA Lake Monitoring Aquatic Plants Fact Sheet

This Plain English fact sheet outlines the work done by the EPA in monitoring aquatic plants in Irish lakes. Aquatic plants are good at showing if the quality of the water is good or bad and play an important role in lake ecology by providing food and a habitat for many smaller plants, animals and birds. They also: • provide shelter for young fish • help to improve the clarity of the water • help stabilise lake shore banks • reduce the amount of sediment being suspended in the water The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) monitors these aquatic plants at more than 10,000 sites in over 200 lakes once every three years.

14. Funding communities to engage in protecting waters - Fran Igoe, LAWPRO

On 17 and 18 June 2020 the EPA held its National Water Event as an online conference. This year's theme was 'Restoring our waters'. This years event was free to attend. It was the EPA's largest water event ever, with over 1250 attending. To everyone who joined us: thanks for attending; thanks for your probing questions; thanks for your passion; thanks for caring about our waters. We can achieve more working together. Special thanks to all our presenters and the team who worked behind the scenes to make sure this years conference happened. For science and stories about water quality in Ireland, check out www.catchments.ie

13. The BRIDE project: working for multiple benefits - Donal Sheehan, BRIDE P...

12. Working with local communities to protect the Maigue - Tom Harrington, Ma...

11. CatchmentCARE: improving water quality in cross-border catchments - Con M...

On 17 and 18 June 2020 the EPA held its National Water Event as an online conference. This presentation was by Con McLaughlin, Donegal County Council and Andy Griggs, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon District Council. This year's theme was 'Restoring our waters'. This years event was free to attend. It was the EPA's largest water event ever, with over 1250 attending. To everyone who joined us: thanks for attending; thanks for your probing questions; thanks for your passion; thanks for caring about our waters. We can achieve more working together. Special thanks to all our presenters and the team who worked behind the scenes to make sure this years conference happened. For science and stories about water quality in Ireland, check out www.catchments.ie

10. Restoring the River Camac - Mary-Liz Walshe, DCC