River blockages affect fish stocks claim

Blockages on a river in Quin parish is adversely affecting fish stock, a new action group has claimed.
In a detailed submission to Clare County Council, the Boolyree Rine River Flood Action Group warned it is now impossible for salmon to get up river due to the blockages.
Group chairman John Perkins told The Clare Champion that those who have lived their lives in the area can remember back 30 years ago looking into the river and observing the salmon. However, he warned that there is no sign of the salmon now and that there is a lack of fish species.
“The council have been contacted by individuals for years about the issues with the river but they have never taken any action. The action group has been set up to ensure that the council fulfil their duties and maintain this river, which takes away the water drainage from a large area from the Tulla hills all the way down to the Shannon.
“It is the council’s duty to ensure that they seek funding from the OPW to ensure that this work is done,” he said.
In a submission to the council, the committee propose that the work should be done in a number of phases. They suggest that phase one would see the immediate removal of all dead trees and ridding the river of rock blockages, bend restrictions and bottlenecks.
According to the group, phase one needs to be done as soon as possible to prevent the reoccurrence of the six to 12 inches of floodwater that flowed into homes in the Quin and Tulla area last year.
The group proposed that low level branches that dip into the river be removed within a three-year period as they collect debris and cause blockages. It also requested that a maintenance programme be put in place to facilitate a long-term plan to ensure that the river would remain free of blockages in the future.
Out of the 28 blockages that the committee outlined in their report, it was submitted to the council that there is only one mention of a bridge blocked by debris.
The group noted that 85% of the riverbed from Moymore Cross on the Tulla-Ennis Road to the Blackweir Bridge high tide mark is rock and blockages cause the river to constantly break its banks.
The group believes 25 blockages are due to fallen trees and a few bottlenecks. The blockages are not caused by “silting-up” and therefore members are not looking for major dredging just the blockages and the bottlenecks to be removed.
Catherine O’Halloran, from Caherloghan, who is the secretary of the group said, “Action needs to be taken to prevent a repeat of the flooding in Quin and Tulla last November. The river has been neglected for years and is in dire need of an action plan and continuous maintenance.”
Michael Ryan of the Tulla Road, Quin recalled he had one foot of water in his house on November 20 last while his next door neighbour was also flooded.
“We were in the house for the last 16 years and we were never flooded before. The water levels were about four feet higher last November than normal. I believe the situation near my house was exacerbated by the construction of a bridge linking the village with Quin Abbey, which was built by the OPW about six years ago,” he said.
At a meeting of the Ennis East Electoral Area a number of county councillors supported the calls from the action group to carry out work carried on the Bouleyree/Rhine River.
Councillor Sonny Scanlan outlined that about 50 people attended a recent public meeting in Quin to discuss the impact of this flooding of six or seven houses.
He recalled the water levels in some houses during that time and how one person couldn’t get out of their home for a week.
“The water was three feet high in some places and I could only get through with a tractor. The council needs to carry out the necessary repairs to the Rine River to ensure there isn’t a repeat of last November’s floods,” he said.
Councillor Pat Daly requested the council to contact the OPW to provide the necessary funding to complete a proper job.
Councillor Johnny Flynn said he could empathise as his family had to evacuate their previous dwelling due to flooding.
He said he agreed with their main recommendations having read the report prepared by the action group and pledged to work with them to ensure their suggestions are implemented.
Senior executive engineer, Eamon O’Dea confirmed the council recently received a detailed report from the Bouleyree Rine Flood Action Committee and that the council is examining it.
Mr O’Dea told councillors he had visited the area twice and had directed staff to remove debris at bridges to ensure water is free flowing.
He explained that the council would have to first establish which authorities or landowners are responsible for particular areas in addition to discussing the matter with the OPW.
He also stressed that trees could not be cut during the fish-spawning season from October to June due to regulations.
Mr O’Dea added that the council only had €47,000 to carry out winter drainage, arterial drainage and hedge cutting works in the Ennis area this year.