They are talking about draining the Shannon. Again. This time, the idea has come from a group of State agencies that was responding to political pressure because of last winter's extensive flooding. The Shannon Flood Risk Group concluded after intensive consideration that "room must be made for the river". This approach, now being adopted in Europe, was immediately represented by Minister of State Sean Canney as involving extensive dredging.
When European planners talk about “making room for the river”, they don’t mean excavating a huge channel. They mean allowing the river to expand onto natural flood plains and holding back, rather than speeding up, water so that downstream towns aren’t flooded. They mean providing for seepage, rather than drainage, in upland areas in order to limit runoff. Instead of canalising rivers and erecting barriers in anticipation of torrential weather events, they attempt to work with nature. In the context of rapid climate change, it is a much cheaper and more effective approach.
In recent years, farmers along the Shannon callows – one of the last substantial wet plains in Western Europe – lost income because of late summer flooding. Research conducted by the Office of Public Works, following IFA demands for compensation, found flooding had been worse during the last century and weirs had little impact on water levels. Flooding, it found, was a direct consequence of climate variability.
Flooding can, however, be made worse by bad planning. Rezoning of flood plains for housing; the construction of industrial projects at pinch points and excessive carbon emissions have all played their part. Scientists warn of wetter winters to come because of global warming. In such circumstances, dredging a barely-moving river and piling spoil along its banks simply repeats the hard-engineering responses of the past. If towns are to be protected and room made for the river, the use of natural flood plains will be required and consideration given to providing extensive over-flow corridors along its length.