Wexford County Council has been allocated €700,000 in government funding to help restore the "ecological condition" of Lady's Island Lake.

According to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Lady’s Island was selected as a priority area for action for restoration under the Water Action Plan as the lagoon is impacted by nutrient pollution "predominantly coming from agriculture, which is leading to the presence of harmful algal blooms".

"The excess nutrients and algae impact on the ecology of the lagoon," the department has warned.

The new funding will assist Wexford County Council to support the development of a Water Quality Management Plan for Lady’s Island.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has detailed that a "significant reduction of nutrients" entering the lagoon is required to improve the water quality and ecology in the area.

It has also outlined that new measures will be required to "address excess nutrients from agriculture, domestic waste water treatment plants (septic tanks) and urban waste water treatment plant(s) entering the lake".

This will require "very close engagement" between Wexford County Council, LAWPRO, the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory (ASSAP), the Farming for Water EIP and Uisce Éireann.

The Farming for Water EIP and ASSAP are currently "advancing plans" to address the deterioration of the saline lagoon’s water quality and ecology.

Lady’s Island Lake

Lady’s Island Lake is currently at "poor ecological status" (2016-2021), and "poor or bad status" has been reported by the EPA for Lady’s Island Lake since 2009 largely due to "elevated levels of nutrients".

It is protected under the EU’s Habitats Directive as a priority habitat.

It is designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) for lagoon and other habitats, and as a Special Protection Area (SPA) for a number of bird species, including four species of terns that nest on islands in the lake.

Earlier this year the Environmental Protection Agency published a report, 'Coastal Lagoons: Ecology and Restoration (CLEAR)', which showed that the ecology of the Co. Wexford lake had been "severely damaged by nutrient over-enrichment", resulting in harmful algal blooms and fish kills.