Inishowen Rivers Trust receive funding from the Office of Public Works (OPW) to carry out study into the feasibility of using natural water retention measures in Inishowen.
The Inishowen Rivers Trust (IRT) have engaged the services of Professor Mary Bourke based at Trinity College Dublin to carry out a study looking at areas of Inishowen that could be suitable for natural flood management measures. The OPW have granted funding to support the project which will run from January to June 2019.
Last year the Inishowen Rivers Trust invited several expert speakers, including Professor Bourke, to give a series of talk in Carndonagh on flooding and natural flood management. Professor Bourke said, ‘Last February when I visited Inishowen I took the opportunity to travel around the peninsula to see the damage inflicted by the big flood and speak to some landowners. I’m delighted to have the chance to visit again and this time to take a really hard look at how natural techniques could be used in slowing the flow and making the landscape more resilient to future flood events.’ She continued, ‘It’s essential that we do our homework first of course. My team and I will conduct a thorough analysis of the landscape looking at all the available data on flood risk and discharge rates and accessing images of the 2017 flood.’
Professor Bourke and her research team will be in Inishowen over the coming months and welcome information from the local community. The IRT have developed a questionnaire for anyone who can provide information on how their land was flooded or how flooding has effected them. Inishowen Rivers Trust director Dr. Trish Murphy commented, ‘Local information could provide really useful data for the research team helping them to develop the best recommendations for Inishowen. We encourage all landowners to get involved by completing the questionnaire online. Alternatively we can send you a hard copy or you can request a visit.’ The trust can be contacted on 087 647 8183 or by emailing [email protected]
The Inishowen Rivers Trust is a charity which seeks to protect and enhance our rivers for the future and make our communities more resilient to a changing climate. Getting involved in easy and the Trust welcomes volunteers to our work events or those who wish to get involved in monitoring or surveying. Training can be provided and you can find out more on this website (www.inishowenriverstrust.com) or by checking out the Facebook page.
