1. WFD & Flood Risk Management February 26 - 27, 2008
Parallel Session 1a:
Ireland’s Approach to designation
Cliona Ní Eidhin – SWRBD Project

2. Presentation Outline CIS Steps 1-6: Article 5 screening – pHMWBs
Approach
Flood Protection
Current focus
8 RBDs: 4 ROI
3 international
1 NI

3. Article 5
reporting ‘05

4. Steps 1-6: Article 5 - approach
Screening for the identification of provisional HMWBs:
Article 5 Morphological risk assessment
Article 5 Hydrological risk assessment
Pressures examined:
Morphological: channelisation, dredging and river straightening, flood protection and embankments, impounding, water regulation; and intensive land use.
Hydrological: abstractions, flow regulation
methodologies and thresholds developed with reference to NI and UK TAG approaches towards harmonisation 2b
Not
at risk 2a
Probably not 1b
Probably 1a At
Risk
490
1a water
bodies

5. Steps 1-6: Article 5 - outcome
Member State
RBDs
Waterbodies
HMWBs
% HMWB
England 8
5018
2645 53
Wales 1
789
203 26
Scotland 2
2803
400 14
N. Ireland 4
601
186 31
Ireland 7
5521 37
Expert review
37 pHMWBs reported
% of total number of wbs

6. Category
Modification No
Specified Use-breakdown
River
Artificial Bed 2
2 flood protection
Impoundment 5
3 drinking water supply
1 power generation
1 power generation & drinking water supply
Tidal Barrage
Lake
Abstraction
2 Drinking water supply 13
4 drinking water supply
6 power generation
3 power generation & drinking water supply
Transitional
Flood Defence Works 1
1 public transport infrastructure
Port & related activities 7
7 port
Coastal 3
3 port

7. Steps 1-6: Article 5 - outcome
Specified Use
No. of WBs
Ports 10
Drinking Water Supply 9
Power Generation 7
Flood Protection 6
Power Generation & drinking water supply 4
Other (water body impounded by railway) 1
Examples…

8. pHMWB Examples Ports & Related Activity –
Killybegs Harbour, Co. Donegal (NWRBD)

9. pHMWB Examples Drinking Water Supply –
Vartry system, Co. Wicklow (EaRBD)
Images courtesy EPA

10. Power Generation & Drinking Water Supply – Inniscarra Reservoir, Co
Power Generation & Drinking Water Supply – Inniscarra Reservoir, Co. Cork

11. pHMWB Examples
Flood Protection – Feale & Cashen Estuary

12. National Further Characterisation Studies
Steps 7-11: Post Article 5
National studies were initiated to
tackle areas of uncertainty
Produce programmes of measures for the RBMP
National Further Characterisation Studies
Leading RBD
Measures & Standards Study Name
WRBD
1. On-site Wastewater Treatment Systems
2. Forest and Water
ShRBD
3. Freshwater Morphology
SERBD
4. Setting Chemical Water Quality Standards
SWRBD
5. Industrial & Municipal Regulation
6. Dangerous Substances
7. Marine Morphology
8. Heavily Modified Water Bodies & Artificial Water Bodies
9. Water Balance Model for Setting Chemical Water Quality Standards
ERBD
10. Abstraction Pressures
11. Groundwater Risk from Diffuse Mobile Organics
12. Urban Pressures in rivers, transitional and ground waters
13. Further Economic Characterisation

13. Study Objectives:
pHMWBs
Restoration
measures test
Alternative
means test
Delivering to RBMP
2008

14. Steps 7-11: Approach
Pilot cases selected to represent each specified use:
Each pilot examined in accordance with:
WFD designation tests
Restoration Measures Test – Article 4 (3) (a)
Alternative Means Test – Article 4 (3) (b)
UK TAG Rapid Designation – checking mechanism
Towards roll-out to the National pHMWB list:
Key decision points / junctures were identified
Applicability to other pHMWBs of same use was appraised
pAWB approached similarly: pilot case & national application

15. Steps 7-11: Approach General principles
CIS recommendation of Pragmatic approach adopted
Economic assessment where determined by complexity of case
Rollout: 37 water bodies – relevant water body specific factors could be considered.
CIS designation test sub-steps formed basis for examination of each pilot
Step 7: Restoration Measures (RM) Test:
7.1 Identification of “restoration measures” to achieve GES.
Is the physical alteration connected to a current “specified use”?
7.2 RM: Significant adverse effects on the “specified uses”?
7.3 RM: Significant adverse effects on the wider environment?
Step 8: Alternative Means (AM) Test:
8.1 Are there ‘other means’?
8.2 Are other means technically feasible?
8.3 Are other means a better environmental option?
8.4 Are other means disproportionately costly?
8.5 Will the ‘other means’ allow the achievement of GES?
Is the failure to achieve GES caused by physical alterations?

16. Steps 7-11 - Flood protection
Two flood protection-related pHMWB pilots:
River Fergus: Tidal Barrage & embankments scheme
Feale & Cashen estuaries: channelisation & embankments scheme
Pilot 1:Fergus Tidal Barrage:
Ennis
2 river water body pHMWBs
Tidal limit changed– category change
Embankments throughout
Bank reinforcement in urban areas
Backwatering- lost spawning habitat
Barrier to fish migration
Clarecastle

17. Steps 7-11 - Flood protection
Restoration Measures test (Art. 4(3)(a)
Step 7: Restoration measures test: River Fergus Tidal Barrage
Decision
Substep 7.1
Is the physical alteration connected to a current “specified use”?
Identification of “restoration measures” to achieve GES.
Removal of the barrage
Removal of embankments
Fish passage measures: passes, stocking, by-pass channel
Yes.
Proceed to 7.2
Substep 7.2
Restoration measures: significant adverse effects on the uses?
Proceed to 8.1
Substep 7.3
Restoration measures: significant adverse effects on wider environment?
Areas designated for protection of habitats & wildlife (SACs, NHAs,+)
Built heritage
Recreation and amenity use
Property and local economy
Not applicable
(a: no)
(a: yes)

18. Steps 7-11 - Flood protection
Alternative Means test (Art. 4(3)(b)
Step 8: Alternative Means Test: River Fergus Tidal Barrage
Decision
Substep 8.1
“other means” of providing beneficial objectives served by physical alteration?
Displacement
Replacement
No.
Designate.
Substep 8.2
Are these “other means” technically feasible??
Not applicable
Substep 8.3
Are these “other means” better environmental option?
Substep 8.4
Are these “other means” disproportionately costly?
Substep 8.5
“other means” allow the achievement of GES?
Is the failure to achieve GES caused by physical alterations?

19. The proposal to designate was approved by the HMWB & AWB Study Steering Group.

20. Steps 7-11 - Flood protection
Pilot 2: Feale and Cashen estuaries:
Agricultural land uses, primarily
Designation Tests 4(3)a and 4(3)b concluded that further study required.
Gap: classification of status.
Trac MImAS run on this case for indication & support further study

21. Steps 7-11 - Flood protection
Applicability of pilots to other pHMWBs:
River Fergus Urban Flood Protection Pilot: applicable to:
Santry River, Dublin. (ERBD)
River Breagagh, Kilkenny. (SERBD)
Some issues encountered
WFD Status classification not available:
Due to lack of monitoring data for many WFD Ecological Status elements, especially hydromorphology
Particular issue for borderline cases
Presented difficulty re: estimating achievement of GES & estimating restoration measures - Art.4(3)a
Scale issues: addressed in ROI before Article 5 characterisation:
Water body delineation considered profound pressures. Example: ports

22. National Further Characterisation Studies
Did we miss any pHMWBs at Art.5 stage?
Refinement of morphological & hydrological risk assessment thresholds
Freshwater Morphology
Marine morphology
Abstractions study
Reapplication of refined
Risk assessment thresholds will be
potentially flag new pHWMBS
Other additions: newly delineated cross border
water bodies . (River Erne u/s Belleek)
National Further Characterisation Studies
Leading RBD
Measures & Standards Study Name
WRBD
1. On-site Wastewater Treatment Systems
2. Forest and Water
ShRBD
3. Freshwater Morphology
SERBD
4. Setting Chemical Water Quality Standards
SWRBD
5. Industrial & Municipal Regulation
6. Dangerous Substances
7. Marine Morphology
8. Heavily Modified Water Bodies & Artificial Water Bodies
9. Water Balance Model for Setting Chemical Water Quality Standards
ERBD
10. Abstraction Pressures
11. Groundwater Risk from Diffuse Mobile Organics
12. Urban Pressures in rivers, transitional and ground waters
13. Further Economic Characterisation 2b 2a 1b 1a

23. Current focus Supporting EPA on establishment of MEP GEP
Two suggested approaches:
UK TAGs development of the alternative ‘measures’ approach- useful to Ireland- trialling of UK approach on each of the Pilot cases just started.
Study underway to on how to approach biological assessment of HMWBs and to compare the biology approach with the ‘alternative’ measures approach.
National application report includes harmonisation review, jointly prepared with NI. International workshops valuable.
Stakeholder consultation – by sector
Ports
Hydropower
Flood Protection
Drinking water supply

24. Contact Details Cliona Ní Eidhin SWRBD Project Mott MacDonald Pettit
5 Eastgate Avenue
Little Island
Cork
Ireland

25. Thank you