Bathing Water Profile - Inchydoney (2015) - Splash

Bathing Water Profile - Inchydoney (2015)
Bathing Water:
Inchydoney
Bathing Water Code:
IESWBWC100_0000_0100
Local Authority:
Cork County Council
River Basin District:
South Western
Monitoring Point:
140190E, 38330N
1. Profile Details:
Profile Id:
BWPR00300
Toilets Available:
Yes
Year Of Profile:
2015
Car Parking Available:
Yes
Year Of Identification
1992
Disabled Access:
No
Version Number:
1
First Aid Available:
Yes
Sensitive Area:
Yes
Dogs Allowed:
Yes
Lifesaving Facilities:
No
Figure 1: Bathing Water
2. Bathing Water Details:
Map 1: Bathing Water Location & Extent
Bathing Water
location and
extent:
Inchydoney Beach is located on the southern side of Inchydoney Island, a small coastal resort,
approximately 3km south-east of Clonakilty in West Cork, & approximately 42 km south west of Cork City.
Inchydoney Island is connected to the mainland by a series of two causeways, it is surrounded by water
and this area has been designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Area
(SPA) and proposed Natural Heritage Area (pNHA).
Inchydoney Beach & the adjoining beach are a popular destination for day trippers and also have a range
of facilities for holiday makers (holiday homes, hotel and apartments). The beaches and accommodation
are located on the southern (seaward) portion of the island.
Inchydoney Beach is located in Clonakilty Bay Coastal Water Body (Water body Code SW_100_0000).
The Inchydoney Beach bathing area is approximately 450m long, & the bathing water is approximately
0.135km2 in area.
Main features of
Type of Bathing Water
the Bathing
Water:
Inchydoney Beach is a sandy south facing beach located at the north east of Clonakilty Bay. The beach is
backed by sand dunes. The beach is quite open to rough weather conditions.
Flora/Fauna, Riparian Zone
To the north the beach is bounded by sand dunes. There is a hard surfaced public car park & access road
located at the back of the sand dunes. The land rises steeply behind the car park & there are a significant
number of private dwellings located in this area before the land reverts to agricultural use.
To the east Inchydoney Beach is bounded by a north to south running narrow promontory, known as Virgin
Marys Point, which is approximately 250m long. The Inchydoney Island Hotel is located at the north of this
promontory. There is hard surfaced public car parking on the promontory. On the eastern side of the
promontory there is another sandy south facing beach which is itself bounded on the eastern side by Ring
Channel which drains Clonakilty Harbour.
To the west Inchydoney Beach is bounded by a channel which drains a tidal lagoon & sand flats known as
Muckruss Strand. There is a hotel & golf course, and a number of private dwelling houses situated at the
other side of this channel from the beach.
Accumulations of Sea Lettuce on the beaches at Inchydoney has been a problem for a number of years. A
multi agency Task Force was set up in 2009 to address this issue. This matter is dealt with under "Other
Risks" inthis Profile.
Water Depth
The beach is a relatively gently sloping, sandy beach.
Tidal Range
Inchydoney Beach is Mesotidal with a tidal range of between 2-4m. (Tidal range at Cobh (which is nearest
Standard Port shown on Irish Tide Tables) is a maximum of 4.4m, the nearest secondary location for
which tide data is provided is Clonakilty Bay to the north which is stated to be 0.3m lower than Cobh at
high tide).
Land Use
The land use in the area to the north (back) of, & adjoining Inchydoney Beach, is sand dunes with a public
car park to the rear. North of the sand dunes there are individual dwelling houses & a public road, & to the
north of these again there is agricultural land used for both intensive grassland & tillage.
To the north-east of Inchydoney Beach is the Inchydoney Island Hotel. There is car parking around, & to
the front of, the hotel. The land rises steeply behind the hotel, & there are individual dwelling houses in this
area, with agricultural land to the north.
The northern half of the Virgin Marys Point promontory is used as a public car park, & provides access to
Inchydoney Beach via a pathway & steps. The remainder (south) of the promontory is rocky & grass
covered.
To the east of Virgin Marys Point promontory there is another sandy beach with extensive sand dunes to
the rear of the beach. Clonakilty Harbour, which is north of Inchidoney Island, discharges to Clonakilty Bay
via Ring Channel which is at the eastern end of this sandy beach
To the west of Inchydoney Beach, across the channel leading to Muckruss Strand, there is another Hotel
& Golf Course, & a number of private houses near the shoreline, with agricultural lands inland of these.
The Muckruss Strand tidal lagoon & sand flats are located to the north-west of the beach. There is a large
wetland area to the west of Muckruss Strand, known as Cloheen Strand Intake, with a further smaller
wetland area to the north of Muckruss Strand, known as Island Strand Intake.
Land use in the general catchment area of Inchydoney Beach is predominantly intensive grassland with
livestock grazing & silage cutting, as well as a significant area of tillage.
Sensitive Area
Inchydoney Beach is included in the Clonakilty Bay SAC, (Site code 000091), this area is also a proposed
NHA. The SAC includes Muckruss Strand, most of the adjoining Cloheen Strand Intake wetland area, the
beaches & adjoining waters, & Clonakilty Harbour. This same area is also designated as Clonakilty Bay
SPA, (Site code 004081).
The average daily visitor numbers to the beach during the bathing season is estimated at approximately
120, with maximum numbers of visitors per day estimated at 500.
Activities
available at the
Bathing Water:
The beach is used by walkers, surfers, windsurfers, & anglers.
Contributing
catchment
details:
Description of the Contributing Catchment:
Inchydoney Beach is located on the southern side of Inchydoney Island.
Inchydoney is a small coastal resort, approximately 3km south-east of Clonakilty in West Cork, &
approximately 42 km south west of Cork City.
The beach is located at the northern end of Clonakilty Bay
Contributing Catchment; The contributing catchment of the bathing area is estimated at approximately
59 km2 in area (shown on Map 2).
Water Bodies draining to Bathing Area;
1.
The Fealge River (aka Clonakilty Stream) (Water Body Code SW_20_2260) is the main freshwater
input into the coastal waters adjoining the bathing area. The Fealge River rises to the west of
Clonakilty town & flows through the town before discharging to Clonakilty Harbour, (see Map 2).
The SWRBD Plan states that the status of this river is Moderate & the objective is to restore its status to
Good by 2021. Status is moderate due to moderate status for Macroinvertebrates.
The latest EPA Q value for this river is a Q. 4 in 2012 which indicates satisfactory water quality.
1.
2.
3.
4.
The Curraghgrane River (Water Body Code SW_20_1929) flows from the eastern side into
Clonakilty Harbour at Ring Village, (see Map 2). The SWRBD Plan states that the status of this river
is Moderate & the objective is to restore its status to Good by 2021. The status of this waterbody is
extrapolated.
Gallanes Lough is a small freshwater lake situated approximately 1.5km north of Clonakilty Town. It
drains to Clonakilty Harbour, (see Map 2)
Clonakilty Harbour flows into Clonakilty Bay approximately 900m east of Inchydoney Beach via
Ring Channel
A number of unnamed streams flow into Muckruss Strand tidal lagoon from the west & south. No
water quality data is available for these streams. Muckruss Strand discharges to Clonakilty Bay via
a channel at the western end of Inchydoney Beach.
Topography;
The catchment consists of moderately sloping hills & valleys rising to a height of approx. 150 m in the
western side of the catchment.
Teagasc soil maps indicate that the catchment consists of mostly dry grassland areas with some wet
grasslands.
Land Use;
Farming is the predominant land use in the catchment with intensive dairy farming as well as drystock, &
tillage.
The lands are generally good quality & well drained.
Population Centres; Clonakilty town is the largest local population centre, & is located approximately 3km
north of Inchydoney Beach. The 2006 Census of population recorded a population of 4,154 for Clonakilty.
The settlement at Inchydoney Island, north of the designated beach, consists of individual dwellings &
groups of holiday homes built along the hillside, & the Inchydoney Island Hotel.
Population figures are not available for this area. Many of the houses in the area are holiday homes & are
therefore only occupied for part of the year.
Monitoring point
The grid reference for the nominal monitoring point is 140,190W 038,330N.
details:
The precise location of the monitoring point can vary as referred to below depending on tides & weather
influences.
Reason for
selection of the The location of the monitoring point is the location where most bathers are expected to use the bathing
monitoring point: water. The location chosen is always within the area patrolled by the Lifeguards. This area can vary
somewhat on this beach depending on tidal & weather influences, & is marked by the Lifeguards flags.
The location will also vary to some extent depending on the state of the tide at the time of sampling
Water quality
assessment:
Bathing Water Quality 2003 to 2011
The bathing water quality monitoring carried out at Inchydoney Beach between 2003 & 2011, by Cork
County Council, has shown consistently good water quality at all times.
Bathing Water Quality 2012 to 2014
During the 2012 to 2013 bathing seasons there were 4 occasions out of 20 sampling events when E.coli
levels in the bathing waters exceeded the guide value of 100MPN/100ml, as set out in the Quality of
Bathing Waters Regulations, 1992 (S.I 155 of 1992)
The 2012 non compliances on 2ndJuly & 7thAugust corresponded with high rainfall events, rainfall in the
previous 72 hours was 14.4mm & 16.7mm at Cork Airport Station.
There were two consecutive sampling events at the very end of the bathing season in 2013 when E.coli
levels in the bathing water were marginally over the guide value of 100MPN/100ml, as set out in the
Quality of Bathing Waters Regulations, 1992 (S.I 155 of 1992), excessive rainfall was not an issue on
these occasions.
During 2012 there was one Enterococci exceedance on the 11thof June. High rainfall or high e.coli levels
were not recorded on this occasion.
During the 2014 bathing season there were no occasions, (out of 10 bathing water sampling events), when
E.coli levels in the bathing waters exceeded the guide value of 100MPN/100ml.
Classification of Water Quality under Bathing Water Regulations 2008;
Assessment of the Inchydoney bathing water under the Bathing Water Regulations 2008 (S.I. 79 of 2008),
using E.coli & Intestinal Enterococci concentrations for the four-year assessment period 2011 to 2014
shows that the current classification for this bathing water is Excellent Quality.
Inchydoney bathing water will qualify for Blue Flag Status in 2015 based on water quality results.
3. Identified Pressures:
Map 2: Bathing Water Catchment
3.1 Potential pressures in the catchment assessed as posing no risk:
Description:
The wastewater in Clonakilty and its environs is collected in a partially combined foul and surface
water network consisting of both gravity and pumped systems. The plant is located to the south of
Clonakilty town & provides secondary treatment of effluent before discharge to Clonakilty Harbour
(see Map 2).
Source:
Clonakilty Waste Water Treatment System
Type:
Waste Water Treatment plant
Short Term Pressure: No
Description:
There are 2 waste water pumping stations at Inchydoney which pump waste water from the
settlement to the treatment plant at Clonakilty, (see Maps 1& 2). The pumping stations at
Inchydoney contain overflows to cater for emergencies such as pump breakdown or electricity
outage.
Source:
Inchydoney Pumping Station Overflows
Type:
Sewer Networks
Short Term Pressure: No
Description:
There are a significant number of individual houses located in the vicinity of the bathing waters,
particularly to the back (north) of the beach.
The town of Clonakilty has a waste water collection & treatment system.
Individual houses in the catcment area should have some form of on-site effluent treatment system.
Source:
On Site Waste Water Treatment Systems in the Catchment
Type:
Septic Tank
Short Term Pressure: No
Description:
The catchment area is predominantly an agricultural area with intensive grassland farming, including
dairying, drystock, & tillage.
Slurry from local farms is landspread within the catchment.
Source:
Agriculture in the Catchment
Type:
Run off from agricultural land
Short Term Pressure: No
3.2 Potential pressures in the catchment assessed as posing risk:
No pressures identified
3.3 Other Risks:
Assessment of the
potential for proliferation N/A
of cyanobacteria:
Proposed management
measures for
cyanobacteria:
N/A
Assessment of the
potential for proliferation Accumulations of sea lettuce has been an intermittent problem for a number of years on
Inchydoney beach.
of macroalgae:
Proposed management
measures for
macroalgae:
Accumulations of sea lettuce occur as a result of excess input of nutrients to the receiving waters.
Specific management actions have been identified to reduce nutrient inputs to these areas These
include increased and improved treatment capacity with nutrient removal at the waste water
treatment plant at Clonakilty, as well as full implementation of the Good Agriculture Practice
Regulations.
While reduction in nutrient inputs to the receiving waters is the key management action necessary
to control excessive growth of sea lettuce, experience in other areas has shown that reduction in
algal biomass can take many years.
Cork County Council personnel monitor the beach during the bathing season. If any significant
accumulations of sea lettuce arise on the beach a contractor is called in to remove the material
which is used as fertilizer on an organic farm.
The removal of sea lettuce from the beach area is overseen by an ecologist to ensure that no
damage is caused to the beach or the SAC/NHA.
Assessment of the
potential for proliferation N/A
of marine phytoplankton:
Proposed management
measures for marine
phytoplankton:
N/A
Additional Information:
Name of beach operator responsible for the beach management:
Michael Tobin, Executive Engineer, Phone 023-8833347, Fax 023-8833147
[email protected]
Clonakilty Council Office,Emmet Square, Clonakilty.
John Murphy - District Supervisor, Phone 023-8833347, Fax 023-8833147
Clonakilty Council Office,Emmet Square, Clonakilty.
Contact for Routine Sampling Issues/Bathing Water Analytical Results;
David Sheehan, [email protected] Phone 021 4532702, Fax 021 4532777
Eliz Hipwell, [email protected] Phone 021 4532718, Fax 021 4532777
Environmental Directorate,CorkCounty Council, Inniscarra, Co.Cork.
4 Bathing Water Status From Previous Sampling Years:
Inchydoney
5 Contact Details:
2011
2012
2013
2014
Good
Good
Good
Excellent
Contact:
Cork County Council
Email:
[email protected]
Address:
Environmental Directorate, Inniscarra, Co. Cork
Phone:
021 4532700