Slaney Upper Water Management Unit Action Plan NameSlaney Upper Water Management Unit Area260 km 2 River Basin DistrictSouth Eastern RBD Main CountiesWicklow, Carlow Protected Areas Slaney River SAC Slaney River Valley SAC Holdenstown Bog SAC Wicklow Mountains SAC Wicklow Mountains SPA 2drinking water abstractions from Slaney River and Little Slaney River

STATUS/IMPACTS Overall status13 RWB - 1 High, 11 Good, 1 Moderate. No lakes. Status elementsQ score dictates status in all but one monitored WB, where Hydromorph and Fish bring it down from High to Good (Little Slaney River). Phys Chemical status is high where monitored. Status was extrapolated for 7 good WBs. Chemical status passes where monitored (1 water body, Slaney River main channel) Possible Impacts - EPA Water Quality 2004 Brown’s Beck Brook - (SE_12_825 - Good); Major improvement but presence of filamentous algae indicative of nutrient enrichment. Carrigower - (SE_12_ Moderate); Distinctly over-enriched at Merginstown bridge in Sewage and Agriculture suspected. Slaney - (SE_12_ Good); Upper reaches of Slaney in this WMU are at Good ecological condition. PRESSURES/RISKS Nutrient sources84% of TP is Diffuse, 78% of which is from Agriculture. 16% of TP comes from WWTP. Point pressures5 WWTP (Rathvilly, Tullow, Baltinglass, Donard, Stratford); 3 WTP (Knockanarrigan, Tullowphelim, Rathvilly); 4 Section 4s - fish farm, DoD, Private Company, Army Camp. 3 EPA Licensed Waste Facilities Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP) and Industrial Discharges WWTP’s at Risk: Rathvilly Tullow WWTP Baltinglass 1 WWTP 1 section 4 - at risk from existing and future insufficient assimilative capacities for BOD and Nutrients. Quarries, Mines & Landfills14 Quarry, 2 Landfills, no waterbodies at risk AgricultureSmall area of WMU at risk - low-lying areas to the west of the WMU. On-site systemsThere are 2239 septic tanks in this WMU, none of them are posing a risk to water quality due to their density, location and unsuitable hydrogeological conditions. ForestryNo waterbodies at risk from forestry. Knickeen and Little Slaney will more than likely deteriorate during and after felling. Dangerous substancesNo waterbodies at risk from Dangerous Substances. MorphologyNo waterbodies at risk. ERFB comment (060509) that most of the Carrigower has been altered in the past and there is regular maintenance / deepening of a significant section in the Merginstown Area. Also an impassable Structure on The N81 Br. over the Tuckmill Trib (12_1728) – a concrete apron with a significant drop. Abstractions13 abstractions - 1 risk (SE_12_1398) OtherNone Slaney Upper Water Management Unit Action Plan River Status High Good Moderate Poor Bad Yet to be determined

SELECTED ACTION PROGRAMME NB All relevant basic measures, general supplementary measures and SEA mitigation measures apply Point SourcesWWTP – refer to Table below INDUSTRY Examine the terms of discharge authorisations to determine whether they require review for the purpose of compliance with water body objectives including protected area objectives and environmental quality standards. Diffuse SourcesAGRICULTURE - Good Agricultural Practice Regulations and Enforcement. OtherOTHER Protection of drinking water, abstraction control and future licensing. OBJECTIVES Good status 2015 Protect 1 water body 12 water bodies Alternative Objectives Extended Deadlines – none New Modifications or Development – Tullow flood alleviation feasibility study underway. HMWB/AWB - none Slaney Upper Water Management Unit Action Plan FUTURE DEVELOPMENT Future Pressures and Developments Throughout the river basin management cycle future pressures and developments will need to be managed to ensure compliance with the objectives of the Water Framework Directive and the Programme of Measures will need to be developed to ensure issues associated with these new pressures are addressed.

River Data Slaney Upper Water Management Unit Action Plan This table outlines water body information including status and a breakdown of its elements, protected areas, objectives and timescales.