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.

1. Catchment
ManagementAgriculture

2. Learning Outcomes
• Overview of Irish Farming Issues
• The Regulatory / Policy Setting
• Source – Pathway – Receptor view of Pressures and
Measures
• Critical Source Area Examples

3. • Total number of farmers – 139,860
• Average farm size – 32.7 ha
• Total area farmed (000ha) – 4,600
• Grass based production system
• Long growing season
• Long grazing season
Ireland’s farming
landscape

4. Approximately 140,000 farm holdings
Almost 1/3 farms on poorly drained soils

5. %20 of area is karstified limestone

6. 60 years of intensification of Agriculture
(nutrients, sediment, pesticides, microbial contaminants - SW & GW )
Policy Interventions / Water Industry Investments - reduced many point sources
Pressure from diffuse agricultural sources on the water environment persists

7. Agriculture
Guidance developed by LASNTG
to assist LAs
Guidance, Procedures and Training
•Agriculture pollution investigation
•Inspections with regard to GAP Regs

8. Greening of the CAP
Source: DG Agri (P. Bascou)
SMRs – Env / Public, Plant, Animal
Health & Welfare
GAEC – Habitat Conservation & Soil Protection

9. Nitrates Action Programme (SMR4)
Current NAP3 will run until end 2017
The principal elements of the NAP include:
• limits on farm stocking rates
• legal maxima for nitrogen and phosphorus application rates
• prohibited spreading periods preventing the application of organic and
chemical fertilisers during more environmentally vulnerable times of the
year
• minimum storage requirements for livestock manures
• requirements regarding maintenance of green cover in tillage lands and
• set-back distances from waters.
Some Improvements are being documented (EPA / ACP)
‘While implementation of NAP3 will be beneficial, supplementary measures (e.g.
through the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020) will be required to provide the
necessary protection of high status water bodies and other sensitive ecosystems.’
2nd Review of Ireland’s Nitrates Action Programme 2013

10. Crop Diversification
Permanent Grassland
Ecological Focus Areas
Greening of the CAP
Source: DG Agri (P. Bascou)

11. Draft RDP Summary 2014 - 2020
RDP 2014 – 2020
Green Low Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme
Burren Project
Priority FPM
Low Emission
Spreading Eq.
Farm nutrient
storage
Environment
Clim Change
New Tech
CPD
Targetted On-
Farm Advice
Rural
Environment

12. Proposed GLAS Structure
5 year Scheme – Specified Environmental Actions (Approved Ag. Planner)
All actions must go beyond GAEC, SMR and Greening baseline for the Basic
Payment Scheme.
€5,000 annually for up to 50,000 farmers (+€2,000)
– 25,000 to 30,000 in 2015

16. Action Operation/Specified Actions Cross-Compliance
Riparian Margins Creation of a permanently fenced margin adjacent
to identified watercourses (3 – 30m).
This land cannot be used for agricultural
production, but must be maintained annually.
It must be fenced to prohibit animal access.
GAEC 1, 3, 5 and 7
Protection of
Watercourses
Deny bovine access to drinking points on lands
adjacent to watercourses
GAEC 1 and 3 and SMR 1
on Natura lands
Arable Margins Create 3, 4 or 6 metre grass margin around the
periphery of arable fields
GAEC 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7
and
SMR 1 on Natura lands
Minimum Tillage To encourage the use of minimum tillage
practices.
GAEC 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7
SMR 1 on Natura lands
Environmental
Management of
Fallow Land
To improve soil structure, increase organic matter
and minimise run off through the establishment of
a grass crop
GAEC 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7
and
SMR 1 on Natura lands
RDP – Agri-Environment Baseline Elements
GAEC and Cross Compliances Requirements for GLAS (Annex 2)

17. Planning for measures
• No single solution
• Need a bit of everything – treatment train
approach
• There is a hierarchy –
① minimise the source and its mobilisation,
② intercept the pathway,
③ protect the receptor
• Make sure you can measure effectiveness of
programme – make sure you have a baseline

18. Farm Waste Management Scheme
(€2.1 billion invested)
Low emission spreaders reduce Ammonia
emissions by up to 40% compared to
conventional splash plate machines
Slurry storage overspill
Minimise the Source and its Mobilisation
Better nutrient management – soil testing / Crop need / method and timing of
application. Increasing efficiency of N and P use.
Improved Production Efficiency – New varieties /breeds
New Management Practices - new agronomic methods – reduced tillage methods

19. Minimise the Source and its Mobilisation
Reduce stocking rates / siting of ring feeders / catch crops /

20. 0
20
40
60
80
100
120
03-Feb 03-Mar 31-Mar 28-Apr 26-May 23-Jun 21-Jul 18-Aug 15-Sep 13-Oct 10-Nov
(kg DM/ha/day)
Annual Grass Growth
High
Response
to N
Best
Response
to N
Poor
Response
to N
Better nutrient management – soil testing / Crop need / timing of application
Minimise the Source and its Mobilisation

21. Build Partnership
Create an ICM
Vision
Characterise the
Catchment
Undertake further
characterisation
Identify &
Evaluate Possible
Management
Strategies
Design an
Implementation
Programme
Implement the
River Basin
Management Plan
Measure Progress
and Make
Adjustments
Slide: Pat Duggan DECLG
Positive relationship exists between STP and risk of P loss to water
Most transfer of P and sediments occurs during rainfall events
Minimise the Source and its Mobilisation

22. Need continued and effective
nutrient management advice
•Knowledge Transfer
•Education / CPD
Improve nutrients distribution at
farm scale
Maximize P crop uptake (avoid P
loss)
•optimizing soil pH and K
•timing & location of P
application
Minimise the Source and its Mobilisation

23. Owen Fenton , Teagasc ICW in drainage system , Waterford
~29% of Irish grasslands have poorly-drained soils
Drainage - delivery pathways Nuts / Sed
Intercept the Pathway

24. Intercept the Pathway

25. Drainage Ditches as Runoff Attenuation Features
Intercept the Pathway

26. Sediment Box 2
5 ha
Ditch cleaning May 2013
130 kg/ha/yr

27. Agricultural Measures - Leannan
4.8 ha
22.5 ha

28. Leannan Ditch 2 – FPM Measures Project

29. Intercept the Pathway
Turb
u/s
Turb
d/s
Flow
Ditch Sediment Trap

30. Intercept the Pathway

31. Intercept the Pathway

32. Protect the Receptor

33. Protect the Receptor

34. Protect the Receptor

35. GW PATHWAYS
CSAs

37. SW PATHWAYS CSAs

38. GAPS / ISSUES
Understanding Pathways and Processes
High Resolution Data
Inter-annual Variability
Weather driven events
Time Lags
Critical Source Area
- High Res DEM / Sub-field scale pathways / Measures Targetting
- Sediment Fingerprinting / Export Rates
Knowledge Exchange
- Data Management Systems and NMPs