Popular Lough Derg swimming spots are under threat

A COUPLE of very popular swimming spots in the Coolbawn area of Lough Derg are under threat at the moment, the recent meeting of Nenagh Municipal District was told.
Cllr Joe Hannigan pointed out that reeds are taking over the swimming spots near Coolbawn known as Luska and Skehanagh.
“The reeds were cut back a few years ago,” commented Cllr Hannigan, “but now they are seriously encroaching again and it won't be long before it will be a far less attractive swimming destination. A lot of local people are talking to me about it.” Cllr Phyll Bugler said she was concerned as well.
Cllr Ger Darcy said Luska and Skehanagh are very attractive swimming areas. “You couldn't have safer swimming areas. The water is shallow and there's a nice sandy lake bed. However, the reeds are severely encroaching. It is getting worse and worse. However it's a Special Area of Conservation and therefore we are not allowed to cut the reeds prior to carrying out an environmental impact study."
Senior Executive Officer Rosemary Joyce said the local authority will have to talk to Waterways Ireland before doing anything. “We don't want to do the wrong thing and risk being prosecuted.”
Cllr Hannigan pointed out that something has to be done quickly. He said the lakeside community where he lived in Lower Ormond have their own theories on what is causing the excessive growth, but such theories are not backed by scientific evidence. Nutrient runoffs from farms are being blamed, but the farming community could be undeservedly getting the blame. A possible source of the excessive growth, he remarked, could be the treatment plants in towns and villages which are running at capacity or overcapacity. “Irish Water has a big part to play here in protecting our water quality,” he said.

Cllr Seamus Morris said the Council should commission an environmental report to establish what exactly was causing the problem. Cllr John Carroll said water quality in general had become an issue on the lake. Councillors needed to bring in experts for a workshop to find out what exactly was happening in Lough Derg and to establish how to protect water based activities like swimming and angling. Rosemary Joyce said there was now an arrangement in place where experts in local water ecology would be attending meetings of the district authority a number of times each year to brief councillors and officials of the situation in regard to Lough Derg and local rivers.