Gaeilge

About Drainage

Arterial Drainage Schemes

The OPW carried out a number of arterial drainage schemes on catchments under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945, and flood defence schemes under the Arterial Drainage (Amendment) Act, 1995. Under section 37 of the 1945 Act, the OPW is required to maintain drainage works in proper repair and effective condition. This work is organised on a regional basis, with regional offices in Mungret, Co. Limerick, Headford Co. Galway and Trim, Co. Meath.

Arterial Drainage Schemes were carried out under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945 to improve land for agriculture and to mitigate flooding. Rivers, lakes weirs and bridges were modified to enhance conveyance, embankments were built to control the movement of flood water and various other work was carried out under Part II of the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945. The purpose of the schemes was to improve land for agriculture, to ensure that the 3 – year flood was retained in bank this was achieved by lowering water levels during the growing season to reduce waterlogging on the land beside watercourses known as callows. Flood protection in the benefiting lands was increased as a result of the Arterial Drainage Schemes.

The Brosna (Westmeath, Offaly and Laois) was the first scheme, which commenced in 1947. The last schemes were completed in the 1990s. Arterial Drainage schemes cover approximately 20% of the country, typically the flattest areas. The OPW is required to maintain Arterial Drainage schemes under sections 37 and 38 of the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945. The Act was amended on a number of occasions, e.g. to transpose EU Regulations and Directives such as the EIA, SEA, and Habitats Directives and the Aarhus Convention.

More information on this and completed major Arterial Drainage Schemes carried out by OPW can be found on the opw.ie website

Under the Arterial Drainage Acts, 1945 and 1995, construction and alteration of watercourses, bridges, weirs and embankments require the prior consent of the OPW. These legal requirements mainly serve to ensure that proposed construction and alteration projects do not increase the risk of flooding or have a negative impact on drainage of land. Further information on this and application forms can be found on the opw.ie website.

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Drainage Districts

Drainage Districts were carried out by the Commissioners of Public Works under a number of drainage and navigation acts from 1842 to the 1930s to improve land for agriculture and to mitigate flooding. Channels and lakes were deepened and widened, weirs removed, embankments constructed, bridges replaced or modified and various other work was carried out.

The purpose of the schemes was to improve land for agriculture, by lowering water levels during the growing season to reduce waterlogging on the land beside watercourses known as callows.

Drainage Districts cover approximately 10% of the country, typically the flattest areas.

Local authorities are charged with responsibility to maintain Drainage Districts. The Arterial Drainage Act, 1945 contains a number of provisions for the management of Drainage Districts in Part III and Part VIII of the act.

The Act was amended on a number of occasions, e.g. to transpose EU Regulations and Directives such as the EIA, SEA, and Habitats Directives and the Aarhus Convention.

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Land Commission

The Land Commission took over a number of embankments as part of it's work. These embankments were created by landowners to reclaim land from rivers or the sea, typically in the 19th century. The purpose of the schemes was to create land for agriculture. In some cases embankments were created and the area behind was allowed to flood and flush out a number of times to reduce the salt content of the soil. The Minister and Land Commission were exempted from any responsibility for maintenance of land sold by the Land Commission under Section 10 of the Land Act, 1965, and this responsibility falls on the current landowners, in line with the provisions of the Land Acts.

The OPW carried out a survey of these embankments in 1939 and 1940 as part of the work of the Browne Commission. Part IV of the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945 created a provision for embankments to be absorbed into drainage schemes. The Act was amended on a number of occasions, e.g. to transpose EU Regulations and Directives such as the EIA, SEA, and Habitats Directives and the Aarhus Convention.

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