Removing trees alone won't solve flooding issues in Mayo rivers

SOLVING issues with flooding is not as simple as removing trees and vegetation from rivers, a meeting of Mayo County Council's environment committee has heard.

There have been ongoing calls for these works in parts of west Mayo that have flooded, with a member of the authority's flood risk unit asked to clarify if resolving matters was more complicated than that.

The Mayour River in Westport used to be cleaned every year by hand, explained Councillor Johnny O'Malley. Today it's that choked, a duck couldn't come up it.

There's flooding as a result of water not being able to flow, with one home owner's septic tank getting filled with water, he said.

Tom McDonnell of the flood risk unit said environmental regulations and legislation had to be factored in, along with climate change and rainfall levels, with faster flows. They also had to consider the impact on properties further downstream.

Full assessments were required and they were working to figure out solutions to sort flooding and improve water quality.

They would look at pressure points and try to bring them through the Part 8 planning process. Otherwise they would have to go through An Bord Pleanála, and a range of other reports.

Mr. McDonnell pointed out how the Moy drainage scheme operated for years and yet there was flooding pressure in Ballina and Foxford.

Cleaning it may have helped land but it had impacts down the line and affected ecology.