Sir, – The flooding crisis once again affecting a large part of Ireland, causing misery and expense to thousands of people and ultimately costing us all a vast amount of tax money, needs to be seriously and urgently addressed. The stock local authority proposals of more dredging and barricading is only part of the answer and only serves to exacerbate the problem for estuary regions at high tide.
What also should be done – as in other countries – is the installation of swales, ponds, etc, in the hills to collect initial storm run-off, better designed drainage of hill farmland and forestry (close to contours rather than vertically aligned) and increased planting of native woodlands to act as natural soak-up areas. It would at least allow more time for river authorities, Bord na Móna and the ESB to get their act together regarding river levels. It may be necessary to incorporate these actions into law. Obviously it would also help if these authorities worked together to give a co-ordinated response.
Yours, etc,
BOB WILSON,
Tuamgraney,
Co Clare.
Sir, – Your report “Storm Frank expected to bring further widespread flooding” (December 29th) mixes up cubic metres and cubic centimetres, when describing the possible increased flowrate over the Parteen Weir. Instead of half a litre per second, the actual flow is 500 metric tonnes per second. – Yours, etc,
PAT KENNEDY,
Douglas, Cork.
Sir, –Ireland’s rivers are being managed by the OPW, the ESB, Waterways Ireland, National Parks and Wildlife, and others. The roles of those bodies sometimes overlap, and are frequently contradictory. The ESB’s role in managing the river Shannon at the Parteen Weir upstream of the Ardnacrusha generating facility is at odds with flood-control requirements.
Water levels in Lough Derg should be managed throughout the year, and perhaps over a number of years, to ensure that a large amount of storage is available in Lough Derg (and in the other Shannon lakes) to “peak-lop” storms when they occur. In other words, the 800 cubic metre a second load that occurred recently at the Parteen Weir should have been “peak-lopped” to a far smaller volume.
Reacting to a storm immediately after it occurs is simply not workable. River management, by definition, requires a major amount of planning. Improved climate forecasting and the river models developed for the flood-risk studies will facilitate all of this.
The IFA is of the view that we should have a river management authority. I agree. There are similar bodies throughout the rest of Europe. Its terms of reference would need to be carefully developed to ensure that it has the tools necessary to carry out its function.
Considerable investment is required, in terms of hard engineering, to address specific flooding issues. It will not be possible to protect all properties.
Infrastructural investment in river management in Ireland has been seriously lacking. It is time that it was addressed. – Yours, etc,
DES BARRY,
Clonskeagh,
Dublin 14.
Sir, – Why is nobody talking about the vital part that upland trees play in slowing water runoff? Is it because we have few left? We have stripped bogs and we have “sheepwrecked” the hills, but no one talks about it. Once again, in Ireland, “the environment” is seen as something outside of ourselves and the preserve of “loony Greens”. – Yours, etc,
JAN GOLDEN,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.