Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

197 Chapter 8: Water Figure 8.7  Number of at-risk water bodies impacted by pressures affecting their ecological status in 2015, 2018 and 2021 ˜ 2015 Assessment ˜ 2018 Assessment ˜ 2021 Assessment 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 Unknown Mines & quaries Industry Peat Other Domestic waste water Urban run-off Urban waste water Forestry Hydromorpho- logical pressures Agriculture Number of water bodies impacted Source: EPA, 2022 Topic Box 8.1  Examples of damage to river hydromorphology Dredging damages the riverbed and vegetation growing in the channel and on the bankside and can be detrimental to wildlife, such as fish, living in the water. Poaching by livestock can cause damage to riverbanks and release sediment that can clog up fish spawning beds.