The Three Rivers Project: water quality monitoring and management systems in the Boyne, Liffey and Suir Catchments in Ireland

• Published in: Water science and technology 2003-01, Vol.47 (7-8), p.217-225
• Main Author: EARLE, J. R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural management; Agriculture; Applied sciences; Catchment area; Catchments; Conservation of Natural Resources; Continental surface waters; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Eire, Boyne R; Eire, Liffey R; Eire, Suir R; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environment; Environmental Monitoring; Eutrophication; Exact sciences and technology; Frameworks; Freshwater; Geographic Information Systems; Industrial Waste; Ireland; Local government; Management systems; Natural water pollution; Phosphorus; Phosphorus - isolation & purification; Policies; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; Resource management; River basin management; River basins; River systems; Rivers; Seasons; Surface water; Water management; Water monitoring; Water Pollution - prevention & control; Water quality; Water quality management; Water resources; Water resources management; Water treatment and pollution
• ISSN: 0273-1223; 1996-9732
• DOI: 10.2166/wst.2003.0692

The "Three Rivers Project" is a government initiative and one of a series of catchment based water quality monitoring and management systems being developed throughout Ireland since 1997. The establishment of these multi-sectoral, basin-wide and community based systems is a response to historically perceived disjointed, legalistic and non-participative approaches to water resource management and purports to transcend the restrictions of traditional local authority administrative boundaries. The new management model embodies the concepts and objectives contained in the European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive (WFD) enacted in December 2000. Ireland, in common with many EU countries, has failed to halt decades of increasing levels of eutrophication of surface waters due principally to phosphorus loading. The "Three Rivers Project" is promoting the benefits of an integrated and cooperative approach to the management of three important river systems in Ireland, namely, the Boyne, Liffey and Suir. The project objective is to protect and improve water quality to conform with "good ecological status". The implications of the Project findings for agricultural, municipal and industrial policy are grave and one of the greatest challenges now is to organise and fund Irish River Basin Management Systems as envisaged by the WFD to continue and build on the work which the "Three Rivers Project" has undertaken.