A closer look at river health
Understanding ecological status, individual waterbodies and assessment periods.
One river, different stretches
Ecological assessments apply to defined waterbodies. A familiar river name may cover several waterbodies, each with its own evidence and assessment. A single label for an entire river can hide those differences.
Read the period with the status
An ecological status is an assessment for a stated period. It is not a live measurement of conditions today. When a verified assessment is linked in the atlas, the waterbody, period and original source are shown together.
Ecology and bathing water are different
Ecological status describes aspects of the health of the aquatic environment. It is not a judgement that a place is suitable for swimming. Check the appropriate official bathing-water information for designated locations.
Follow the evidence
The Environmental Protection Agency and catchments.ie provide official information about waterbodies and assessments. Where this atlas has not verified a link between a river and a waterbody, it leaves that assessment unfilled.