Lough Abisdealy Solution to Skibbereen Flooding. An inexpensive alleviation of the misery of residents and businesses of Skibbereen.
Issued : Saturday 30 January, 2010
Areas : Lough Abisdealy, two miles south of Skibbereen
Following recent severe flooding of Skibbereen on two occasions within seven weeks and a threatened third flooding, the RIPPLE (River Ilen Planning Project Liaison Executive) organisation have turned their attention to help in resolving or at least to alleviate the problem which created misery for hundreds of people in Skibbereen and which has cost the residents and businesses hundreds of thousands of Euro in addition to threatening the viability of businesses affected.
The group, under the Chairmanship of Town Councillor Frank Fahy held a meeting shortly after that of the Floods Committee which was also attended by Councillor Fahy and they decided at least for the immediate future to set aside their aspirations for the provision of amenities on and beside the Ilen river and concentrate the wide variety of skills and experiences of the committee to alleviating the devastating floods. At this meeting, the committee came up with a novel approach to resolve the flooding in the Townshend Street, Main Street, Bridge Street and Market Street areas which is in the main, caused by the Caol Stream rising above the level of the streets.
They believe that the solution lies at the source of the Caol Stream which is Lough Abisdealy. The Caol Stream is the sole outlet of the Lough and flows from there through Russagh and Castlelands. It is joined along the way by a couple of minor streams and into the town at which point it meets the Ilen River. The surface level of the Lough is at 43.8 feet above sea level while the level at the Townshend Street / Bridge Street junction is at just 18 feet. The Lough is well capable of containing normal rain fall and in fact in addition to being the source of the Caol it also provides the water supply for Baltimore and Castletownshend.
The Lough is over 70 acres in size which converts to 257,826 square metres. The Lough has the capacity to rise or contain another metre in height before it overflows its banks. This rise in level of one metre would mean an additional 257,826,000 litres of water or 56, 721,720 gallons that has only one outlet, namely the Caol Stream.
The outlet for the Caol Steam passes under a bridge on the Castletownshend road and it’s at this point that the RIPPLE Committee believe an electro-mechanical barrier should be erected (at relatively little cost) to limit or prevent the flow of water entering the Caol and subsequently flooding the aforementioned streets in addition to the road, the Caravan Park, the houses and Primary School on the Castletownshend road nearer to the town. Should the waters rise above the banks of the Lough, there are no residences or businesses in the local area that would be effected other than the Lake Lodge house and the Tower Lodge both of which are unoccupied. It may also entail the provision of a flood barrier where the Caol enters the Ilen River, but this may not be essential. RIPPLE see this as being one of the most practical and inexpensive solutions to the flooding at this side of the town at least.
The idea was the brainchild of Liam Hazel, a member of RIPPLE (and a resident in the affected area) who has spent considerable time researching the project. The plan has been conveyed to Town Manager Moira Murrell and OPW official Ezra MacManamon and Mr Jim Collins County Council Engineer by Councillor Frank Fahy to have it considered by the group currently discussing possible solutions to the flooding problems. The RIPPLE committee believe that this relatively inexpensive measure would resolve or at least greatly alleviate the flooding problem for this end of town.
Also on the RIPPLE Committee are Town Councillors Brendan Leahy, Karen Coakley, Brendan McCarthy, Catherine O’ Keeffe, and Donnchadh O’ Seaghdha.
Published in The Southern Star on Saturday 30/01/2010
