Flood-prone Springfield under threat this winter

OVER 800m3 of water entered Lough Derg every day during the unprecedented flooding of the River Shannon last November, Ardnacrusha hydro manager Senan Colleran has revealed.
In fact, Mr Colleran confirmed that even if the level of Lough Derg was at a lower starting level, it would have been refilled within one day and the peak flow was almost twice the volume of the operating range of the lake.
The ESB was asked to address a number of concerns and questions by Geraldine Quinlivan on behalf of the Springfield residents in Clonlara, whose submission about the flooding was endorsed by all county councillors at a recent Killaloe Electoral Area meeting.
In a response to this submission, Mr Colleran insisted the ESB has no strategic interest in storing water upstream of Lough Derg, while the level in the lake at the start of the flood has no real impact on the amount of water that has to be sent down the old Shannon during the flood.
In addition to acknowledging those affected by flooding in November 2009, including Springfield residents, he confirmed the ESB operated its dams in accordance with dam management procedures.
When dealing with floods, ESB operates Ardnacrusha Power Station and the gates at Parteen Weir in accordance with the regulations and guidelines for control of the River Shannon. These are regulations drawn up by ESB to ensure that the dams are not overtopped or compromised in any way.
Mr Colleran stressed the integrity of the dams is essential to public safety.
“During the flood, as much water as possible was sent down through the Ardnacrusha Power Station, this minimised the flow in the old Shannon route passing areas such as Springfield. Without the Ardnacrusha scheme, the peak flow down the old Shannon route would have been increased by up to 70%.
“In the flood of 2009, rivers downstream of Parteen Weir, which are not controlled by ESB, such as the Mulclair, Blackwater, Black River, Kilmastulla and the Groody all contributed significant additional flood waters. For example, the peak flood discharge of the Mulcair alone can reach 200m3/sec.
“This river significantly increased flooding in Springfield as its waters entered the Shannon at right angles causing the Shannon River to back up in areas such as Springfield, with levels altering rapidly,” he said.
He recalled warnings of the release of water at Parteen were issued on November 5, on November 15 and almost daily from November 20 to 26.
Lake levels are monitored continuously and decisions in relation to spilling. Parteen Weir is manned as required. In general, changes in discharge at Parteen Weir occur once/twice a day during daylight hours for public safety reasons.
Mr Colleran insisted the absence or presence of staff at Parteen on a continuous basis has no bearing on the management of such floods.
“The removal of the power station would not prevent flooding. There is no question that ESB floods areas such as Springfield in order to avoid flooding urban areas,” he added.
As the winter season looms, Councillor Cathal Crowe stressed it is important that appropriate measures are taken to safeguard the residents from a repeat of flooding last November.
“Last winter’s flooding was dubbed a “hundred-year flood” but for Springfield residents, flooding has become almost an annual event. Many are living in fear of what lies ahead this winter. Flood protection walls need to be built around the most vulnerable homes.
“There is still a need for an independent body to scrutinise the volume of water released at the Parteen Weir during periods of heavy rainfall,” he added.