#mulkear – Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is today (31.07.14) continuing to investigate the polluted condition of the Mulkear River and its tributary, the Bilboa River. These rivers form part of the Mulkear Special Area of Conservation and are essential nursery and spawning areas for Salmon, Trout and Lamprey.
At the present time, the Mulkear River is extremely discoloured by suspended solids, disrupting angling and severely curtailing other uses.
IFI staff has identified the source of pollution as being a result of last week's flash flooding, which caused a high level of suspended solids from the Gortnageragh River, a tributary of the Bilboa River located a few miles north of Doon County Limerick, to enter into the system.
The Gortnageragh River burst its banks in numerous locations and a large number of trees were washed away causing the River to be dammed at several locations. This further exacerbated the situation, as numerous new river channels are now forming, causing silt, clay, sand and gravel to be washed downstream as a heavy load of suspended solids. At one point, a new riverbed has been scoured out to a depth of approximately one metre. This is the source of discolouration in the water and will be impacting on spawning beds and nursery areas for salmon and trout.
IFI is liaising with local authorities and ESB, the fishery owner, with a view to seeing what steps can be taken to alleviate the problem. IFI believes that the removal of the obstructions should aid the river in reverting to the original river bed.
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has a confidential 24 hour hotline number to enable members of the general public to report incidents - 1890 34 74 24 or 1890 FISH 24. This phone line is designed to encourage the reporting of incidents of water pollution, illegal fishing and invasive species.
