Vegetation (Floating River Vegetation) - Office of Public Works
Vegetation (Floating River Vegetation) - Office of Public Works Vegetation (Floating River Vegetation) - Office of Public Works
BETTER ENVIRONMENTAL & ENGINEERING SERVICES Ltd. Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) of the Effects of Statutory Arterial Drainage Maintenance Activities on Water Courses of Plain to Montane Levels with Aquatic Vegetation (Floating River Vegetation). Floating river vegetation on the Bandon River 2006 Niamh Ní Bhroin BSc PhD Better Environmental and Engineering Services Ltd. Registered in Ireland No. 400184 Registered office 22 The Garden Village, Portlaoise, Co. Laois 22 The Garden Village, Portlaoise, Co. Laois. Tel/fax: 057 8672599 Mobile: 087-6968600 VAT No.: IE64201841 beesltd@eircom.net Directors: N. Ní Bhroin BSc (NUI) PhD (NUI) M. Castiaux BSc (Geology) MSc (Env. Science & Management) Company Secretary
Executive Summary Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................................................... 2 1.0 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND FUNCTIONS OF STATUTORY ARTERIAL DRAINAGE. 1.2 LEGAL AND POLICY CONTEXT FOR THIS ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT 1.3 OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF THE PROJECT. ...................................... 1 ............................................................ 2 .............................................................................................. 3 2.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIAL AREAS OF CONSERVATION (SACS) ..................... 4 2.1 DESCRIPTION OF THE CONSERVATION ASPECTS 2.2 SITE ELEVATIONS 2.3 SITE INTEGRITY 2.4 IDENTIFY OTHER LINKED ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE ASPECTS. ...................................................................................... 4 ........................................................................................................................... 8 .............................................................................................................................. 9 .......................................................... 11 3.0 ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF WATER COURSES OF PLAIN TO MONTANE LEVELS WITH AQUATIC VEGETATION EU 3260................................................................ 13 3.1 MONITORING AND MEASUREMENTS COMPLETED (METHODOLOGY) 3.2 DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT OF FLOATING RIVER VEGETATION 3.3 GENERAL GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS OF FLOATING RIVER VEGETATION 3.4 LIFE CYCLE OF FLOATING RIVER VEGETATION 3.5 PARAMETERS AFFECTING SPECIES DISTRIBUTION 3.6 GROENLANDIA DENSA ON THE BACK DRAINS OF THE RIVER SHANNON ......................................................... 13 ............................................................... 15 .................................................. 22 ..................................................................................... 24 .................................................................................. 26 ................................................... 27 4.0 DESCRIPTION OF MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC WORKS...................................................................................................... 31 4.1 ENVIRONMENTAL DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE (EDM) PROGRAMME...................................................... 31 4.2 METHODS OF AQUATIC WEED CONTROL EMPLOYED BY THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC WORKS. ........................... 33 4.3 RIVER CORRIDOR WATER DYNAMICS................................................................................................. 35 4.4 PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL FEATURES OF WATERCOURSES WITH FLOATING RIVER VEGETATION. . . 39 5.0 MITIGATION MEASURES..................................................................................................... 41 5.1 MEASURES FOUND TO INFLUENCE FLOATING RIVER VEGETATION 5.2 INFLUENCE OF CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE WORK PRACTICES 5.3 SPECIFIC OFFICE OF WORKS MITIGATION MEASURES AND OTHER STATUTORY BODIES 5.4 THE IMPACT OF FLOATING RIVER VEGETATION ON RISING WATER LEVELS AND FLOW RATE. ............................................................ 42 ........................... 44 .............................. 45 ........................ 47 6.0 CONCLUSION AND SUMMARY........................................................................................... 53 FURTHER STUDIES RECOMMENDED. ......................................................................................................... 54 APPENDIX A - SPECIAL AREAS OF CONSERVATION CLASSIFICATION OF HABITAT TYPE...................................... I APPENDIX B – SITE ELEVATIONS SURVEYED........................................................................................... IV APPENDIX C – HABITAT CLASSIFICATION OF SURVEY SITES...................................................................... VII APPENDIX D – MAPPING OF FLOATING RIVER VEGETATION SURVEYED.......................................................... X APPENDIX E – PHYSICAL PARAMETERS RECORDED AT SURVEY SITES........................................................ XIX APPENDIX F – DESCRIPTION OF FLOATING RIVER VEGETATION PLANT SPECIES......................................... XXIII APPENDIX G – ENVIRONMENTAL DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE GUIDANCE NOTES..................................... XXVI
- Page 1 and 2: ISSN 1649 - 9840 SERIES OF ECOLOGIC
- Page 3: Foreword This Ecological Impact Ass
- Page 7 and 8: 1.0 Introduction This study was com
- Page 9 and 10: and fauna. The OPW has a multi-annu
- Page 11 and 12: Currently twenty-one Special Areas
- Page 13 and 14: 2.1.4 Lower River Shannon Special A
- Page 15 and 16: 2.2.4 Site elevations within the Lo
- Page 17 and 18: 2.3.4 Site integrity of the Lower R
- Page 19 and 20: 3.0 Ecological Assessment of Water
- Page 21 and 22: 3.2 Distribution and extent of floa
- Page 23 and 24: 3.2.1 Floating river vegetation of
- Page 25 and 26: aquatic moss. 3.2.3 Floating river
- Page 27 and 28: 3.2.5 Floating river vegetation wit
- Page 29 and 30: Starwort, Callitriche species •Ro
- Page 31 and 32: Each form of reproduction requires
- Page 33 and 34: prevented aquatic growth. Water lev
- Page 35 and 36: G.densa was the dominant floating r
- Page 37 and 38: 4.0 Description of maintenance oper
- Page 39 and 40: consultation with the Foreman / Tec
- Page 41 and 42: 4.3 River corridor water dynamics A
- Page 43 and 44: Not shown in the above data set is
- Page 45 and 46: 4.4 Physical, chemical and biologic
- Page 47 and 48: •Survey watercourses to determine
- Page 49 and 50: The primary riverbed substrate of w
- Page 51 and 52: gravel require loosening assess the
- Page 53 and 54: • Livestock should be restricted
Executive Summary<br />
Table <strong>of</strong> Contents<br />
TABLE OF CONTENTS...................................................................................................................<br />
2<br />
1.0 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................<br />
1<br />
1.1 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND FUNCTIONS OF STATUTORY ARTERIAL DRAINAGE.<br />
1.2 LEGAL AND POLICY CONTEXT FOR THIS ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT<br />
1.3 OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF THE PROJECT.<br />
...................................... 1<br />
............................................................ 2<br />
.............................................................................................. 3<br />
2.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIAL AREAS OF CONSERVATION (SACS) ..................... 4<br />
2.1 DESCRIPTION OF THE CONSERVATION ASPECTS<br />
2.2 SITE ELEVATIONS<br />
2.3 SITE INTEGRITY<br />
2.4 IDENTIFY OTHER LINKED ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE ASPECTS.<br />
...................................................................................... 4<br />
........................................................................................................................... 8<br />
.............................................................................................................................. 9<br />
.......................................................... 11<br />
3.0 ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF WATER COURSES OF PLAIN TO MONTANE<br />
LEVELS WITH AQUATIC VEGETATION EU 3260................................................................<br />
13<br />
3.1 MONITORING AND MEASUREMENTS COMPLETED (METHODOLOGY)<br />
3.2 DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT OF FLOATING RIVER VEGETATION<br />
3.3 GENERAL GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS OF FLOATING RIVER VEGETATION<br />
3.4 LIFE CYCLE OF FLOATING RIVER VEGETATION<br />
3.5 PARAMETERS AFFECTING SPECIES DISTRIBUTION<br />
3.6 GROENLANDIA DENSA ON THE BACK DRAINS OF THE RIVER SHANNON<br />
......................................................... 13<br />
............................................................... 15<br />
.................................................. 22<br />
..................................................................................... 24<br />
.................................................................................. 26<br />
................................................... 27<br />
4.0 DESCRIPTION OF MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS CARRIED OUT BY THE<br />
OFFICE OF PUBLIC WORKS......................................................................................................<br />
31<br />
4.1 ENVIRONMENTAL DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE (EDM) PROGRAMME......................................................<br />
31<br />
4.2 METHODS OF AQUATIC WEED CONTROL EMPLOYED BY THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC WORKS. ........................... 33<br />
4.3 RIVER CORRIDOR WATER DYNAMICS.................................................................................................<br />
35<br />
4.4 PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL FEATURES OF WATERCOURSES WITH FLOATING RIVER VEGETATION. . . 39<br />
5.0 MITIGATION MEASURES.....................................................................................................<br />
41<br />
5.1 MEASURES FOUND TO INFLUENCE FLOATING RIVER VEGETATION<br />
5.2 INFLUENCE OF CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE WORK PRACTICES<br />
5.3 SPECIFIC OFFICE OF WORKS MITIGATION MEASURES AND OTHER STATUTORY BODIES<br />
5.4 THE IMPACT OF FLOATING RIVER VEGETATION ON RISING WATER LEVELS AND FLOW RATE.<br />
............................................................ 42<br />
........................... 44<br />
.............................. 45<br />
........................ 47<br />
6.0 CONCLUSION AND SUMMARY...........................................................................................<br />
53<br />
FURTHER STUDIES RECOMMENDED. ......................................................................................................... 54<br />
APPENDIX A - SPECIAL AREAS OF CONSERVATION CLASSIFICATION OF HABITAT TYPE......................................<br />
I<br />
APPENDIX B – SITE ELEVATIONS SURVEYED...........................................................................................<br />
IV<br />
APPENDIX C – HABITAT CLASSIFICATION OF SURVEY SITES......................................................................<br />
VII<br />
APPENDIX D – MAPPING OF FLOATING RIVER VEGETATION SURVEYED..........................................................<br />
X<br />
APPENDIX E – PHYSICAL PARAMETERS RECORDED AT SURVEY SITES........................................................<br />
XIX<br />
APPENDIX F – DESCRIPTION OF FLOATING RIVER VEGETATION PLANT SPECIES.........................................<br />
XXIII<br />
APPENDIX G – ENVIRONMENTAL DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE GUIDANCE NOTES.....................................<br />
XXVI
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