CURRAHEEN RIVER: SCIENCE, HERITAGE and WATER QUALITY

CURRAHEEN RIVER: Science, Heritage and mapping our Water Quality.

For our current major project we are exploring Ireland's vital freshwater natural heritage by studying the Curraheen River. As an important local habitat, the river is central to our community's biodiversity. By assessing its ecological health, we are connecting science with natural heritage conservation.

To protect this habitat, our community formed a dedicated biodiversity team. Our goal is to investigate the river’s water quality against the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). Ultimately, we aim to use our data to recommend targeted, evidence-based remedial actions to the various stakeholders, to safeguard the river for the future.

We took a hands-on, scientific approach to environmental monitoring. The team acquired a professional Hanna HI 98594 multiparameter water quality test meter to track critical chemical parameters, including pH, Oxidation-Reduction Potential (ORP), Dissolved Oxygen (DO), temperature, and turbidity. Additionally, we will use HACH color disc test kits to precisely measure the presence and levels of key nutrients, specifically nitrates and phosphates.

Our testing to date—conducted during a low-rainfall environment—revealed that the Curraheen River is of reasonable to good quality, successfully meeting the WFD requirements for both pH and dissolved oxygen. We are sharing these baseline findings with the community to raise local environmental awareness. Our project will continue long-term to evaluate how seasonal changes and heavy rainfall impact the river's water quality.