Six sub catchments have been chosen as demonstration catchments for the waters of life project. Measures to address various pressures including hydromorphology, forestry, agriculture, wastewater and other pressures will be trialed in five of these areas, with the sixth acting as a control. With the exception of the control, these catchments have been chosen because they at risk of failing to meet the high status objective that has been set for them under the River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027. For details on how these catchments were selected please refer to the Catchment Selection Report.
The Avonmore demonstration catchment is a sub catchment of the Avonmore River which rises in the Wicklow mountains and flows in a South Easterly direction before turning South and joining the Glendasan river near Glendalough.
This demonstration sub catchment, as defined in the River Basin District Plan, has been extended by the inclusion of the Lisduggan North_010 sub basin and the omission of part of the main channel of the Blackwater itself, in order to create a demonstration catchment which is a coherent geographical whole, for the purposes of the Waters of LIFE project.
The Graney demonstration catchment covers an area of approximately 174.5km² in North East County Clare, and projects slightly into County Galway.
The Sheen demonstration catchment is the sub catchment of the Sheen River which rises in the Caha and Knockboy Mountains in South Kerry. It flows North West meeting the well-known Sheen Falls before joining the estuary of the Kenmare River near the town of Kenmare.
The Islands River demonstration catchment is the sub catchment of the Islands River which straddles the Galway-Roscommon border and flows through the town of Ballymoe before joining the main channel of the River Suck.
The Shournagh demonstration catchment rises in the Boggera Mountains to the North West of Cork City. It flows in a South Easterly direction, through the village of Tower, before joining the river Lee near Carrigrohane, West of Cork City.