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. 1
SUMMARY INFORMATION FOR THE NUENNA
CATCHMENT VISIT
June 2015

2. 2
Site 1: SW2 – Swallow hole in upper catchment
Site 2: S3/S4 – Boiling Spring/GWS Spring - Q-Values, WQ monitoring & Flows
Site 3: Nuenna @ Clonmantagh Br (RS15N020100) – Q-Values, WQ monitoring, Flows & EPA BHs
Site 4: Gorteenahilla @ Br N of Balleen (RS15G080300) - Q-Values & WQ monitoring
Site 5: Nuenna d/s Freshford WWTP (RS15N020300) - Q-Values & WQ monitoring
Site 5
Site 1
Site 2
Site 3
Site 4

3. River Nuenna Catchment Location
Orho-photograph

4. Groundwater Status
River Status

5. 5
River Q ratings

6. 6
1:50,000 map showing hydrometric/groundwater quality monitoring and some point pressures

7. Domestic Waste Water Treatment System (DWWTS) Locations

8. CORINE Land Use

9. 9
Wet/Dry Soils

10. 10
Subsoil Permeability
(blank areas have <3m subsoil over bedrock)

11. 11
Groundwater Vulnerability

12. 12
Aquifer Map
21%
21%
90%
27%
90%
74%

13. 13
Groundwater Recharge

14. 14
Susceptibility for Inadequate Percolation to Groundwater

15. 15
Susceptibility for Nitrate to Groundwater

16. 16
Susceptibility for Pathogens/Phosphate to Groundwater

17. 17
Groundwater Risk of Pathogens/Phosphate from Septic Tanks

18. 18
Surface Water Risk of Phosphate from Septic Tanks

19. 19
Groundwater Risk of Nitrate from Septic Tanks

20. 20
Surface Water Risk of Nitrate from Septic Tanks

21. 21
Combined “worst case” Risk from Septic Tanks

22. 22
Sensitive Receptors in Catchment

23. 23
Septic Tank Inspection Plan - Prioritisation Zones

24. 24
Drinking Water Supplies in the Nuenna Catchment
Balief & Clomantagh GWS
Barna/Kilrush GWS
Clomantagh/Killashulan GWS
Tubrid Lower GWS
Tubrid Upper GWS
Parks & Rathcolevin GWS
Graine GWS
River Water Quality
Very cold, snowy
period in December
2010
Rainfall ~ 15% below
average in May 2012

25. 25
Groundwater Quality in EPA BHs near Clonmantagh Br
Nitrate
Orthophosphate

26. 26
EPA STRIVE Pathways Project data
Fig. 1 Groundwater and surface responses to rainfall, Nuenna catchment. Note, the Rocky Weir is
located at Clomantagh just above the biological monitoring point. The NU2 suite of boreholes is also
located at Clomantagh close to the river, whilst the NU1 suite is higher up the catchment.

27. 27
Fig. 2 Changes in flow in the Nuenna with distance from the Pathways project sub-catchment outlet
which is above the Gorteehahilla confluence. The major flow increases are due to the presence of a
number of large karst springs.
Fig. 3 Durov plot of groundwater and surface water in the Nuenna catchment. River chemistry and
groundwater chemistry are very similar with the exception of the 2 shallow boreholes close to the
stream where there is a known contamination issue. There is a large contribution of GW to the river.

28. 28
Fig. 4 Surface water flow, rainfall, and chemical parameters at Monument Weir during a rainfall
event in November 2012. Data show that major ions and nitrate are delivered via groundwater
pathways and are diluted with rain, while PO4 and ammonium are delivered via near surface
pathways and increase with rain.
24-Nov-12
25-Nov-12
26-Nov-12
27-Nov-12
28-Nov-12
500
600
700
Cond(uS/cm)
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
Silica(mg/l)
0
0.02
0.04
0.06
0.08
0.1
SAC
12
16
20
24
Nitrate(mg/lN03)
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
Phosphate(mg/lPO4)
3
4
5
6
7
Sodium(mg/l)
8
10
12
14
Magnesium(mg/l)
1
2
3
4
5
6
Sulphate(mg/l)
1.6
2
2.4
2.8
Flow(m3/s)
1.2
0.8
0.4
0
Rainfall(mm/15min)
0
10
20
30
Cumrain(mm)
1.2
1.6
2
2.4
2.8
DOC
10
12
14
Chloride(mg/l)
0
200
400
600
800
Alkalinity(mg/lCACO3)
0
0.02
0.04
0.06
0.08
0.1
NH4mg/l
Monument weir
Nov 2012 event

29. 29
Fig. 5 Nitrate loads with distance downstream. Note increases in fluxes with major springs and
higher loads with low flows in summer due to landuse.
Fig. 6 P loads with distance downstream. Note higher TP than MRP in moderate flows, but low P
overall.
Nuenna River flow and nitrate load, at low and moderate flows,
with distance downstream
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Distance downstream (km)
Flow(m3/s)
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Nitrateload(Kg/d)
Low flow - Jun 2010 Mod flow - Sept 2010
NO3 Load Low flow NO3 Load Mod flow
Influence of gravel
aquifer and Millrace trib
Closed shapes with lines: river profile
Open squares: Toberpatrick
Open diamonds: GWS sp
Open circles: Boiling sp
U/s BS & GWSU/s Toberpatrick
D/s Toberpatrick D/s BS & GWS
Clomantagh Monument weir
0.000
1.000
2.000
3.000
4.000
5.000
6.000
7.000
8.000
0.000
0.200
0.400
0.600
0.800
1.000
1.200
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Pload(Kg/d)
Flow(m3/s)
Distance downstream (km)
Nuenna flow and TP (uf) and MRP (f) loads, at low and moderate flows,
with distance downstream
Low flow - Jun 2010 Mod flow - Sept 2010
TP (uf) Low flow TP (uf) Mod flow
MRP (f) Low flow MRP (f) Mod flow
Influence of gravel
aquifer and Millrace trib
U/s BS & GWSU/s Toberpatrick
D/s Toberpatrick D/s BS & GWS
Clomantagh Monument weir

30. 30
Table 1 Nitrate and phosphorus concentrations and loads at sampling points in low (June 2010) and moderately high (September 2010) flows.
Fig. 7 Q-ratings 2010 - 2011
Locations Flow (m3/s) NO3 conc (mg/l) NO3 load (Kg/d) MRP (f) conc (mg/l) MRP (F) load (Kg/d) TP (UF) conc (mg/l) TP (UF) load (Kg/d)
Low flow Mod flow Low flow Mod flow Low flow Mod flow Low flow Mod flow Low flow Mod flow Low flow Mod flow Low flow Mod flow
Headwaters 0.017 0.005 27 1 40 0 0.011 0.022 0.016 0.009 0.013 0.028 0.018 0.011
D/s Toberpatrick 0.040 0.094 25 8 91 63 0.014 0.031 0.044 0.252 0.018 0.057 0.054 0.452
U/s Boiling well and GWS 0.052 0.116 26 9 115 86 0.012 0.033 0.055 0.329 0.015 0.061 0.067 0.613
D/s Boiling well and GWS 0.160 0.476 26 5 355 211 0.010 0.019 0.143 0.795 0.013 0.065 0.180 2.671
Clomantagh bridge 0.174 0.429 25 6 374 222 0.013 0.020 0.189 0.725 0.015 0.070 0.225 2.597
Monument weir 0.174 1.121 23 8 347 747 0.004 0.030 0.065 2.934 0.004 0.079 0.065 7.630
Boiling spring 0.052 0.286 24 4 109 95 0.012 0.013 0.013 0.332 0.015 0.075 0.066 1.849
Toberpatrick 0.023 0.090 25 8 51 63 0.014 0.031 0.013 0.243 0.018 0.057 0.036 0.441
GWS 0.056 0.074 25 1 123 5 0.011 0.016 0.015 0.103 0.014 0.071 0.069 0.450

31. 31
Fig. 8 Groundwater Tracer Tests

32. 32
Fig. 9 Groundwater, Surface Water and Flow monitoring locations
N1 D/s Monument weir
at footbridge - flow, WQ
and Q-score
N4 – Clomantagh - Flow, WQ
and Q-score
N5 Boiling spring at duck pond – Flow and WQ
N6 Nuenna d/s springs and pond – Spot Flow, WQ, Q-score
N7 Nuenna u/s springs and pond – Spot flow, WQ, Q-score
N8 GWS spring – Spot flow, WQ
N10 Spring at castle– Flow (combined river and Sp), WQ and Q-score
N11 Nuenna u/s spring at castle – spot flow, WQ, Q-score
EPA Boreholes
Forest spring – Spot Flow, WQ