Concerns voiced over Lough Derg

NENAGH councillors have voiced concerns in regard to the intensive growth of aquatic plants around Lough Derg, which they say is wiping out prime swimming amenities and sparking concerns as to what exactly is causing “epidemic” levels of reed growth.

Cllr Joe Hannigan said reed growth had increased so much in traditional swimming areas around the lakeshore in recent years that it is now at “epidemic” levels.

He warned that highly popular and traditional bathing areas, such as in the Luska and Skehanagh areas of the lake, would soon disappear due accelerated growth of reed beds.

“We’re going to lose these swimming areas if this continues. We are going to have to tackle the reeds,” he warned.

The reeds had been cut back in the past in the worst affected areas, but had regrown swiftly and were now “worse than ever”.

Raising the issues at the September meeting of the Nenagh Municipal District authority, Cllr Hannigan said the lakeside community where he lived in Lower Ormond had their own theories on what was causing the excessive growth, but such theories were not backed by scientific evidence.

Nutrient runoffs from farms were being blamed, but the agriculture sector might be getting “a belt” it did not deserve, he said, pointing out that many of the treatment plants in towns and villages were running at capacity or overcapacity and that these may be the source of the increase in the growth of acquatic plants in the lake.

“Irish Water has a big part to play here in protecting our water quality,” he said.

Many people had brought it to his attention that reed growth was taking over in some of the prime swimming areas.

AN OLD PROBLEM

Cllr Ger Darcy said accelerated reed growth on the lake was something that had been raised “for years and years”.

Traditional bathing spots such Luska and Skehanagh were treasured by local communities because they were very safe places to swim. When he was young these areas were loved for their shallow water, with sandy bottoms extending for 150 metres from the shoreline. They were always crowded with swimmers in the summer months, but now reeds had taken over.

The right thing to do would be to cut the reeds, but this was not allowed. “It’s a terrible pity to lose these swimming amenities due to thick reed growth.”

REPORT

Cllr Seamus Morris said the council should commission an environmental report to establish what exactly was causing the problem. The reeds had been cut down in Skehanagh a number of years ago but had grown back fiercely. “Skehanagh was one of the best places on the lake to swim and we have lost that, and our kids have lost that.”

Cllr John Carroll said water quality in general had become an issue on the lake. Councillors needed to bring in experts for a workshop to find out what exactly was happening in Lough Derg and to establish how to protect water based activities like swimming and angling.

District Administrator, Rosemary Joyce, undertook to write to Waterways Ireland to find out if the council could cut down the reed beds, but said it was a sensitive issue as many of the amenities were in Special Areas of Conservation.

Ms Joyce said there was now an arrangement in place where experts in local water ecology would be attending meetings of the district authority a number of times each year to brief councillors and officials of the situation in regard to Lough Derg and local rivers.