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Blackwater Transboundary River basin Action for Community and Environment (TRACE)
Introduction
The Blackwater River is a major inflowing river to Lough Neagh and has a cross-border catchment area of almost 1,500km2. This land area is mostly agricultural but with small towns and settlements and individual dwellings. Combined, this landuse pattern can, unfortunately, impair water quality due to, for example, over-use of fertilisers and slurry which can be washed off fields during rain storms, leaks from farmyards, and discharges from sewage works and septic systems. Blackwater TRACE was established as a pilot project to identify the sources of water quality problems and putting in place mitigation measures in three small catchments.
Project Aims and Objectives
The aim of Blackwater TRACE is to demonstrate a stepped improvement in water quality in three sub-catchments in Tyrone, Armagh and Monaghan (~5km2) using total phosphorus as the main water quality indicator. An important element of the project is tracking the baseline conditions of water quality in the catchments and identifying improvements that can be made with the help of upgrade work. The upgrades have taken the form of soil nutrient management planning following soil testing, promoting farmyard infrastructure improvements and septic system improvements
Soil nutrient management
Farmers recorded fertiliser applications throughout the project and are given recommendations to reduce fertiliser use. As a result of this many farmers purchased zero or reduced phosphorus fertiliser. This resulted in a reduction of 1.8 tonnes of phosphorus into the catchments in the first year.
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Soil nutrient management
Farmers recorded fertiliser applications throughout the project and are given recommendations to reduce fertiliser use. As a result of this many farmers purchased zero or reduced phosphorus fertiliser. This resulted in a reduction of 1.8 tonnes of phosphorus into the catchments in the first year.
Farmyard infrastructure improvements
In the 3 catchments in this project the TRACE project funded farm upgrade work including:
- Almost 4 miles (6.4km) of fencing
This has ensured the protection of river bank from soil erosion caused by cattle accessing streams and releasing nutrients into waters. Although taken at different times of year the images below show the level of poaching which will now be prevented all year round.
- 916 yards (838m) of guttering
This means that more rain water is diverted from potentially dirty farm yards into storm systems and therefore reduces volume of slurry to store.
Septic tank improvements
With rising rural housing density septic tanks and their effluents are a source of nutrient loss. 113 Septic tanks were surveyed in the 3 catchments and as a result recommendations were made for the improvement of the highest risk systems.
The improvements in the project are continually assessed for their impact on water quality. |
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