News Article: Life and Death on Irish Rivers

A news article showing the increase in pollution in rivers across Ireland. The most recent data from the EPA confirms that overall ecological health of Irish rivers has declined since 2013, meaning that rivers are less able to support healthy ecosystems for fish, insects, and plants.

The most telling part of the story of the water quality of a river is in the estuary, where pollution often accumulates in estuarine muds. Latest data shows how the deterioration in estuaries around the coastline has been most dramatic along the southeast and southern seaboards, a worsening crisis of nutrient pollution that is due to agricultural run-off.

Areas such as Cork Harbour, Wexford Harbour, and the Slaney, Suir, and Nore estuaries have lost their good water quality status.