Curraheen River WaterBlitz: What we found

We completed the Curraheen River WaterBlitz on Sunday, 9 October 2022.

 

The weather was not ideal, but it did not dampen our spirits.

 

The WaterBlitz helps us to get a snapshot of the freshwater quality in the Curraheen River.

 

The freshwater samples we’ve taken – from a large number of river sites over the weekend – allows us to assess the freshwater quality across a whole river catchment.

 

The data we’ve collected is uploaded to a central location in DCU, for analysis. It will then be uploaded to a digital map which tells us the location and quality of the rivers tested.

 

The results of the tests are a general indication (at a Citizen Science level of expertise) of the river quality. The results are not as precise as laboratory tested samples.

The results

We checked the Curraheen River at the Grotto for Nitrates and Phosphates with the following results:

 

    • Nitrates: 5 to 10 mg/L  – This is high.
    • Phosphates: 0.05 to 0.1 mg/L  – This is high.

We’ll now take professional advice on how we can improve the water quality of the Curraheen River.

Nitrates
Nitrates (sample taken at the Grotto Curraheen)
Phosphates
Phosphates (sample taken at the Grotto Curraheen)