Macra na Feirme has called for urgent government intervention regarding flooding at Lough Funshinagh, in Co. Roscommon.
The organisation has said that the environmental impact of the flooding is significant, especially given the area is a special area of conservation (SAC).
Macra added that farmers have been farming beside the lake for years, working with the land to promote biodiversity and practicing climate-friendly farming.
Flooding at Lough Funshinagh
The turlough, which has almost trebled in size in recent years, now has over 1,300ac of land submerged, which is an additional 800ac more than it historically covered at this time of year, according to Macra.
“Since 2015, the area under water has increased with levels in the turlough currently at the same height as they were on December12, 2020,” the organisation said.
Roscommon Macra na Feirme hosted a farm walk on September 10, 2021 at the farm of Lawrence and Michael Fallon on the shores of Lough Funshinagh.
The crowd in attendance heard of the threat of the expanding turlough to farmland, houses and the environment.
Macra said that attendees saw hedgerows that have been destroyed by the rising waters with a huge loss of habitat for birds and insects.
“A forest planted some decades ago to sequester and store carbon is wilting and dying due to submerged roots,” the farm organisation added.
Grassland that was home to over 100 travelling hooper swans is reportedly now completely submerged with the swans not returning to lands they had visited for generations.
Macra na Feirme president, John Keane said: “The rising floodwaters will only continue to destroy habitats and carbon stores, while reversing generations of progress and development by the farmers affected.
“An overflow pipe has been partially completed, but has been halted due to legal objection. The residents and farmers need urgent action to prevent the crisis from worsening and leading to an environmental and humanitarian emergency.
“The government needs to intervene now to resolve this issue for the benefit of both the people and the environment. Standing by and allowing the crisis to worsen is no longer a tolerable option for those living on the shores of the turlough,” Keane concluded.
Flood relief works
Flood-relief works at Lough Funshinagh have been suspended indefinitely.
A High Court action taken by Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) last month against Roscommon County Council, set in motion a series of events that concluded when the matter came back before the High Court in August.
It is understood that both parties – FIE and the council – had resolved the matter in advance of the court proceedings.
The works included the construction and laying of a 2.9km pipe that would see water from Lough Funshinagh, pumped into the larger Lough Ree.