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The development of a major reservoir and waterway, fed by the River Shannon, (see: Shannon To Be Harnessed For Water Supply) has not been universally welcomed.
There have been calls for an examination of the potential environmental and economic consequences of Dublin City Council's plans to draw water supplies from the River Shannon from 2016.
The local paper, the Limerick Leader reported that Martin McEnroe, Chairman of the Shannon Protection Alliance, said that the Shannon's surplus water would be required by industry in future years and its removal could halt the region's economic development.
"Hotels and factories require a huge amount of water to operate. If the surplus water is taken away, the Shannon corridor is not going to develop. We also need to consider the effect on the Shannon tourist industry, including the leisure boat and angling sectors," he said.
Mr McEnroe, who worked with Shannon Regional Fisheries Board for over 20 years, said that any water level reduction would have a big knock-on effect on cruiser traffic, particularly in the upper Shannon region.
"If you drop the level of the Shannon, the water will run off a lot faster from the feeder streams.
"There won't be enough oxygen left in the water for the fish to survive, their eggs will be left exposed and they will die," he added.
Mr McEnroe said that any move by Dublin City Council to draw the Shannon's water may be in breach of EU legislation, including the water framework and habitat directives.
"We have sent a complaint to Europe on these water abstraction plans, which is being examined at the moment.
"Water used in the towns and villages along the Shannon normally finds its way back into the river eventually, after going through water sewerage treatment plants. But if it's taken to Dublin it would be removed from the water cycle," he said.
Mr Murtagh explained that the excess water at Ardnacrusha served no purpose apart from leading fish into "cul-de-sac" streams where they remained trapped and vulnerable to poaching.
(BMcC/GK)
