Lough Neagh Partnership is hosting an international seminar on ‘The Management and Regulation of Water Quality in Lough Neagh’ in partnership with Interreg VB Northern Periphery and Artic Programme, WaterPro Project. The project aims to develop new tools and models to help better manage nitrate run off from farms.
Places are available for this free to attend seminar on Tuesday 27 November which will examine the management and regulation of water quality and agricultural run off into Lough Neagh as part of the exchange of knowledge on the WaterPro Project.
Conor Jordan, the Chairperson of the Lough Neagh Partnership, will chair the seminar, and speaking ahead of the event, he said;
“We all know that the Lough has historically had issues of water quality associated with it. But through the hard work of the NIEA water quality management group and new practices adopted by farmers since the introduction of the European Nitrates Directive, we are now beginning to see positive changes in the quality of the Lough’s water. The seminar will look at other best practices being used in Northern Europe and this will also help us continue with the good news water quality trend”
Presentations at the event, in the Discovery Centre at Oxford Island, will focus on the overall Northern Ireland regulation and management of water quality, the past problems with Lough Neagh, the present trends in water quality data and present pilot bioremediation tools to help address the problems at a local farm level. The seminar will also provide an update on the other models and pilot projects attempting to address run off problems from Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Ireland, Scotland and the Faroes.
Speakers include Mary Toland and Brenda Walker, Northern Ireland Water Management Unit; Bob Foy, retired Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute Water Quality Scientist, Chris Johnston, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute WaterPro Partner and Gerry Darby of Lough Neagh Partnership.
The seminar begins at 9.30am with registration and refreshments and ends, following lunch, at 2.00pm.
To confirm your attendance at ‘The Management Regulation of Water Quality in Lough Neagh’ seminar, email Aaron Swann at Lough Neagh Partnership – aaronswann@discoverloughneagh.com.
Order Of the Events
9.30am: Registration, Tea and Coffee
10.00am: Regulation of Water in Northern Ireland and Lough Neagh River Catchment Plan: Mary Toland, Northern Ireland Water Management Unit
10.30am: Past Water Quality Issues and Nitrate Management on Lough Neagh: Bob Foy Retired AFBI Water Quality Scientist
11.00am: Present trends of water quality on Lough Neagh: TBC
12.00 noon: Willow Bioremediation Project: Waterpro Pilot Project in AFBI, Hillsborough: Chris Johnston AFBI Waterpro Partner
12.30pm: Summary of other Northern European Waterpro Water Quality Pilot Research Projects
1.30pm: Lunch
2.00pm: Seminar Finish