Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

219 Chapter 9: The Marine Environment 2. Current health of Irish marine waters In 2022, the EPA published Ireland’s updated WFD status in Water Quality in Ireland 2016-2021 (EPA, 2022). The report set out the latest assessment of the health of Ireland’s rivers, lakes, canals, groundwaters, and transitional (estuaries) and coastal waters. The assessment showed that over half (54%) of our surface waters are in satisfactory ecological health, being at either good or better ecological status. Coastal waters had the highest percentage of waters at high or good ecological status (81%), while estuarine waters had the worst water quality (36%). Figure 9.3 shows that only 56 (36%) estuarine water bodies are at high or good ecological status and 100 (64%) are at moderate or worse ecological status and that 79 coastal water bodies (81%) are at high or good ecological status, with 19 (19%) at moderate or worse status. The majority (95%) of the surface area of coastal waters are at high or good ecological status. Figure 9.4 provides a geographical representation of the status of our transitional and coastal waters. Transitional waters achieving less than good status are located primarily in the south and south-east of the country and include the estuarine reaches of the Bandon, Lee, Barrow, Nore, Suir and Slaney rivers. Figure 9.3 WFD status of transitional and coastal water bodies, 2016-2021, by number and by area Transitional water bodies (number) Transitional water bodies (area, km 2 ) ˜ High ˜ Good ˜ Moderate ˜ Poor ˜ Bad 4 18 78 28 28 220 335 193 137 Coastal water bodies (number) Coastal water bodies (area, km 2 ) 11 17 35 44 0.0060. 2 2,036 10,687 ˜ 0.006 km 2 ˜ 0.02 km 2 ˜ 346 km 2 ˜ 2 Source: EPA, 2022