Famous Mayo lake shows 'stark impact' of farm pollution

A salutary tale by a local councillor has highlighted the fallout from water pollution.

During a discussion at a recent meeting of Mayo County Council on farm inspections and methods used to detect pollutants entering our waterways, Cllr Al McDonnell referred to the LIFE project, which aims to improve water quality in Lough Carra.

Cllr McDonnell said he had been fishing the lake for over 50 years and it was "pristine" up to 35 years ago. However, there was then a decline in vegetation, followed by the disappearance of fly life, including the Mayfly, and a precipitous drop in fish catches. 

"We wondered why this happened and then we learned that on one day alone in June 1993, the equivalent of six tonnes of effluent went into the lake.

“Lough Carra has declined significantly in the last 25 years, and agriculture has contributed to some of that. My land and that of my family is just eight hundred metres from the shore and we probably made a contribution, in our ignorance. We did not realise we were doing very significant damage to the lake and to the drinking water.

“I fished all of last year for the sum total of three fish, whereas you would get three fish on any drift 20 years ago. I can do without the fishing but not without the water. I said to someone opposed to the LIFE project, 'If I told you 0.1% of that glass of water was slurry, would you drink it?' and of course they said no."

Cllr McDonnell said the LIFE project brought the community together to revive the lake. 

“With Lough Carra, we first had to convince people there was a problem. Typically, everyone puts their head in the sand and said we are not the ones contributing to this, but we are. However, even though the LIFE project is years in operation, there has been very little change, and it will take this generation and the next if we are to save the lake, but at least we are setting the standard.” 

Cllr McDonnell praised the efforts of Mayo Co Council's Environment Enforcement Officer Kieran Flynn in relation to farm inspections.

“I like how you are doing it, not with a hatchet if someone is non-compliant but with a view to getting it right, and I think most farmers recognise the importance of the quality of water.”

• Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.