Bathing Water Profile - Dugort Beach, Achill Island (2013) Bathing Water: Dugort Beach, Achill Island Bathing Water Code: IEWEBWC360_0000_0400 Local Authority: Mayo County Council River Basin District: Western Monitoring Point: 67359E, 308942N 1. Profile Details: Profile Id: BWPR00200 Toilets Available: Year Of Profile: 2013 Car Parking Available: Year Of Identification 1992 Disabled Access: Version Number: 1 First Aid Available: Sensitive Area: Dogs Allowed: Lifesaving Facilities: Figure 1: Bathing Water
2. Bathing Water Details: Map 1: Bathing Water Location & Extent Bathing Water location and extent: This beach is located approx. 3 Km east of Doogort village in Achill Island. The Designated Bathing Area (DBA) of Silver Strand is small, 150m long, set at the western end of a north facing medium sized beach approximately 500m long bordered at it s western end by a road leading to Seal Caves further around the headland and a low headland to the east. There is a large grassy area between the beach and the public road and the sand dunes form a visible barrier between this and the beach itself. The bathing area is approximately 2.25km wide. The bathing water is approximately 0.78km2 in area. This beach is a designated Blue Flag since 1991. Main features of the Bathing Water: Type of Bathing Water This beach has a very gentle gradient to the water with a very clean untroubled appearance. A small stream at the western extremity of the bathing area occasionally gives rise to a rip tide, which may under some tidal conditions move, laterally along the beach before heading out to sea. Flora/Fauna, Riparian Zone On the western seaboard, low, flat windswept sand plains known as Machair are found. It consists of a mixture of siliceous sand derived from glacial tills and sediments and calcareous sand derived from the shells of animals which lived on the offshore platform. The mountain heath and bog vegetation is of particular importance for their communities of oceanic bryophotes (mosses and liverworts), particularly the North Atlantic Hepatic Mat community which descends on Achill to its lowest altitude in Ireland. Water Depth The medium water depth and maximum water depth within the designated bathing water would be 0.5m and 5.0m respectively depending on the tides. Tidal Range The beach is Mesotidal based on information from Westport Harbour Tide Tables which is the Standard Port shown on the Irish Tide Tables. Westport Harbour is located at the south east corner of Clew Bay Land Use Most of the terrain is hilly, unenclosed blanket bog and heath. Much of the lower slopes of the hills are heavily grazed by sheep and are eroded down to mineral soil. Sensitive Area Doogort Machair/Lough Doo SAC/ pnha (Site Code 001497) Croaghaun/Slievemore SAC/pNHA (Site
Code 001955) Keel Machair/Menaun Cliffs SAC/pNHA (Site Code 001513) Dugort beach forms part of the Natural Heritage Area (Doogort East Bog NHA 002381). The Croaghaun/Slivemore site is located on the north western side of Achill Island. Achill Island and the Currane Peninsula, on the west coast of Co Mayo, are among the most remote and scenic areas in Ireland. Some of the local roads that follow the coastline of Achill, and which boast some of the most spectacular views of the area, have been designated 'The Atlantic Drive'. There are several sites of historic interest in the Achill area. The following is an outline summary of some of them. Kildownet Castle, in reality a tower house, which stands overlooking the southern entrance to the sound at Cloughmore. It is a fifteenth century fortified structure, reputed to have been built by Grace O Malley. Kildownet Graveyard, at Cloughmore, containing famine graves, and the graves of victims of the Clew Bay Drowning Tragedy and the Kirkintollach Fire Tragedy. Near the shore is St. Dympnas Holy Well. Michael Davitt Bridge, joining Achill Island to the mainland at Achill Sound. First opened in 1888 by Michael Davitt. The Colony, location for Edward Nangles Achill Missionary Settlement, dating from 1831. Some of the original structures remain. Site of Achills first hotel. The Deserted Village - at Slievemore. Once a vibrant village, abandoned towards the end of the last century in the wake of famine, eviction and emigration. Boycotts House, overlooking Dooagh, where Captain Charles Boycott had his home in Achill for about twenty years. Max. number of visitor during a day in high season: 50 Approx number of visitor during the bathing season: Activities available at the Bathing Water: The beach is used by limited numbers of surfers, canoeists, snorkeling, power boating, water skiing and sailing. Contributing catchment details: Dugort beach is located on the north side of Achill Island, the shoreline around the village of Dugort boasts two Blue Flag beaches - the Silver Strand and the Golden Strand. Both these beaches face Blacksod Bay and the Belmullet Peninsula. The most westerly of the beaches in Dugort, Pollawaddy, is sheltered in the shadow the the magnificent Slievemore mountain, while further east the beach known as Barnyagappul Strand. Water Bodies draining to Bathing Area: There are no major water bodies draining to Dugort Beach but several water courses. There is a stream that flows in to the beach and its monitored throughout the bathing season for water quality. Monitoring point details: The grid reference for the nominal bathing water monitoring point is E 067,359 N 308,942. The precise location of the bathing water monitoring point can vary depending on tides and weather influences. Reason for selection of the monitoring point: Monitoring also takes place for Dugort Stream which enters the beach adjacent to the main access point. The grid reference for Dugort Stream monitoring point is E 067,277 N308,604. The location of the bathing water monitoring point is the location where most bathers are expected to use the bathing water. The bathing water monitoring point location chosen is always within the area patrolled by the lifeguards, which is marked by the lifeguard flags. Water quality assessment: Overall the water quality monitoring carried out at Dugort Beach from 2004 to 2010 achieved good water quality status and complied with the EU Guide and Mandatory Values as set out in the Quality of Bathing Water Regulations, 1992 (S.I. 155 of 1992) and the EC Directive concerning the Quality of Bathing waters (76/160/EEC). Since 2011, two microbiological parameters, Escherichia coli and Intestinal entercocci are used for bathing water quality monitoring of identified bathing waters as required under the Bathing Water Quality Regulations, 2008. In 2011, 2012 and 2013 the overall status of Dugort beach was Good. It is expected that Dugort Beach will continue to meet the required standard of Sufficient water quality in 2014 and subsequent years. 3. Identified Pressures:
Map 2: Bathing Water Catchment 3.1 Potential pressures in the catchment assessed as posing no risk: No pressures identified 3.2 Potential pressures in the catchment assessed as posing risk: Description: Source: Type: Short Term Pressure: Nature: Frequency: Duration: Methodology: Agriculture is the predominant land use consisting of sheep grazing Agriculture Run off from agricultural land Moderate Risk 1/2 per season < 48 hours Most of the terrain is hilly, unenclosed blanket bog and heath. Much of the lower slopes of the hills are heavily grazed by sheep and are eroded down to mineral soil. Results: Details: Heavy rainfall throughout the bathing season increases surface run-off. Bathing water monitoring at Dugort beach indicates that there is risk of short term pollution of the designated bathing water after periods of heavy rainfall. Any impact would be of short duration. Management Measures: If heavy rain is anticipated warning notices will be erected at the beach and the EPA will be notified.
Description: Source: Type: Short Term Pressure: Nature: Frequency: Duration: Methodology: Results: The Doogort Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) was constructed in 1999. The WWTP is designed to treat sewage from a population equivalent of 700 P.E. The WWTP consists of a package plant comprising the following: primary settlement, rotating biological discs and sludge storage in primary settlement tank. The WWTP has 3 discharge points. The primary discharge is the main outfall discharging into Blacksod Bay. In addition there is secondary emergency overflow associated with a pumping station. There is also one storm water overflow incorporated into the inlet of the WWTP to avoid wash through the plant due to tidal conditions at the main pumping station. Both of these are located on Dugort strand. The WWTP is designed to treat effluent to a standard of 25mg/l BOD, 125mg/l COD and 35mg/l Suspended Solids. There is no evidence of discharge impacting on bathing water quality. All discharges take place to the Atlantic Ocean outside the area designated for Shellfish in SI No. 55 of 2009 European Communities (Quality of Shellfish Waters) ( Amendment) Regulations 2009 Discharge of Sewage from Doogort WWTP Waste Water Treatment plant Low Risk 1/2 bathing season < 48 hours The discharge from Doogort WWTP is discharged to the Atlantic Ocean (Primary Discharge Point). There is secondary Treatment therefore the Microbial Pollution potential is moderate. The 95 percentiles monitoring result is estimated at Water Quality Impact grade A with a value of between 0-40. Therefore the Microbial Pollution for this discharge is low. This result is consistent with the water quality results obtained at Dugort Beach during all recent Blue Flag water quality monitoring for the last 8 years. The Microbial Pollution for this discharge is low. This result is consistent with the water quality results obtained at Dugort Beach during all recent Blue Flag water quality monitoring for the last 8 years. Details: The risk of storm overflow from Doogort WWTP is low. Management Measures: Regular checks are made of the pumping station and storm overflow. If any overflows are identified or if heavy rain is anticipated warning notices will be erected at the beach and notification made to the EPA 3.3 Other Risks: Assessment of the potential for proliferation of cyanobacteria: Proposed management measures for cyanobacteria: Assessment of the potential for proliferation of macroalgae: Proposed management measures for macroalgae: Monitoring of the beach since it attained a Blue Flag Award in 1991 indicates that there is no significant potential for proliferation of Marine Phytoplankton on this beach. Assessment of the potential for proliferation of marine phytoplankton: Monitoring of the beach since it attained a Blue flag Award in 1991 indicates that there is no significant potential for proliferation of Macroalgae on this beach. Proposed management measures for marine phytoplankton:
Additional Information: Appropriate Assessment of Doogort Wastewater Discharge Licence Application 2010 v Designated Bathing Area Report- Doogort (Silver Strand) Beach v EPA http://maps.epa.ie/internetmapviewer/mapviewer.aspx v http://watermaps.wfdireland.ie/hydrotool/viewer.aspx?site=hydro&reloadkey=tru e v http://www.bathingwater.ie/epa/current.htm 4 Bathing Water Status From Previous Sampling Years: 2010 2011 2012 2013 Dugort Beach, Achill Island Good Good Good Poor 5 Contact Details: Contact: Mayo County Council Email: bathingwater@mayococo.ie Address:, Belmullet Area Office, Church Road, Belmullet, Co. Mayo Phone: 097 81004