Aquatic Ecosystems

“Rivers are said to be the veins, and streams the capillaries, that carry the life blood of the Earth. Our rivers and lakes are amazing complex living ecosystems whose biodiversity underpins the many essential benefits we humans depend on from freshwaters.  When we degrade and pollute these systems, we compromise the very services that sustain us and our economy.”

- Professor Mary Kelly-Quinn

Head Of School, School of Biology and Environmental Science, UCD

Clean rivers are not just beautiful; they are also foundational to ecosystem health and climate resilience. Luggala sits in the upper Avonmore catchment which supports populations of brown trout, freshwater invertebrates, and upland birds. They also feed drinking water reservoirs downstream and serve as crucial climate buffers, storing and slowly releasing cool, clean water throughout the year.

Luggala sits at the head of two Blue Dot waterbodies: Avonmore_010 and Avonmore_020. The upper reaches of the Avonmore River held “high” ecological status but have declined to “good”, largely due to a combination of upland erosion, sediment input, and forestry, causing them to be at risk of losing their status. 

This is part of a wider national decline. In the late 1980s, over 30% of Ireland’s rivers held high status. Today, fewer than 17% do, and only 0.7% remain truly pristine. In the Wicklow uplands, where steep slopes and thin soils meet intensive forestry and grazing pressures, the consequences are especially visible: sedimentation, acidification, and habitat loss.

Our approach to river restoration begins with understanding. We work with academics and Inland Fisheries to monitor macroinvertebrate populations and water chemistry, building a clearer picture of what is happening season by season. This long-term dataset is vital for adaptive management and allows us to respond to subtle but significant changes in river health. Proper land management, peat restoration, planting riparian vegetation, and removing non-native Sitka Spruce plantations  will go a long way towards controlling erosion and improving water quality. 

What Recovery Could Look Like

In time, a restored Avonmore headwater might carry slower, cooler water through a reconnected floodplain of alder woodland, wet meadows, and seasonal pools. Invertebrate communities such as mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies would increase in both richness and abundance, providing food for trout and clear signals of improving water quality. Riparian soils would darken and deepen, drawing carbon from the air and anchoring the floodplain. Groundwater would rise slightly, helping to sustain baseflows through dry periods.

We hope to take a truly holistic approach that restores not just the river itself but the entire water cycle, from the moment rainfall touches the land, through vegetation and soils, and onward to the streams, rivers, and ultimately the sea.

References

1. LAWPRO Desktop Assessment, Avonbeg–Avonmore Priority Area for Action (2022)

2. Catchments – Blue Dot Catchments Programme, Irish River Project (2016–2018)

3. O’Hagan Luff, M. “Ireland has lost almost all of its native forests…” The Conversation (2023)

4. Waters of LIFE: Avonmore Demonstration Catchment Desk Study (2023)