Building sufficient defences to reduce the risk of tidal and river floods in Cork could cost in excess of €100 million, a study on flooding in the region, published today, has concluded.
The Lee Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management Study proposes that the ESB would use its dams at Inniscarra and Carrigadrohid in Cork to control the flow of the River Lee to reduce the risk of flooding in the city.
The study states that the situation for Cork city is “complicated” and subject to the outcome of revisiting and further developing the operation regulations of the Carrigadrohid and Inniscarra dams with enhanced emphasis on their potential for proactive flood risk management.
Options include a potential to further optimise operation of Carrigadrohid and Inniscarra reservoirs, a fluvial/tidal flood defence scheme and localised works. The study proposes that the ESB take on an enhanced flood risk management role.
The study concludes that if revised operating procedures for operating the reservoir levels cannot alone guarantee robust management of fluvial flood risk downstream, then there will be a need to proceed to a more detailed stage of study for a combined fluvial and tidal flood alleviation scheme.
This course of action is estimated to cost in excess of €100 million for complete defences and may be “prohibitive” the report suggests.
Minister for State at the Office of Public Works (OPW) Dr Martin Mansergh published the draft plan today at Cork City Hall.
Dr Mansergh has said that the flooding experienced in Cork last November was of an “unprecedented” and “extreme” scale. He insisted flood defence funds would be made available to the best of the Government’s ability.
“There is increased money available for flood defence and protection but obviously what is going to be needed is not going to be determined fully until all the flood catchment area studies are completed by 2015," he said.
"All I can say is that this Government is committed to spending increased resources on flood protection defences for example its spending in 2008 was €23 million, in 2009 it was €38 million and after recent flooding events in November it is going to be €50 million this year.
"This Flood Risk Management Plan for the Lee Catchment was substantially produced prior to the flooding of November 2009 and is the primary pilot project for the National Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management Studies programme."
The first phase of the Cork plan is due to be implemented by 2015 while minor relief works will be carried out before the end of the year.
The Minister said the study is the culmination of three years of intensive work that has identified the areas that are prone to flooding, and assessed a wide range of measures that can be used to protect people, property and infrastructure against the effects of flooding.
The plan sets out a range of actions and measures that will be implemented by the OPW and the Local Authorities working together, including the construction of flood protection schemes and the implementation of flood forecasting and warning systems