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A total of 119 landowners across Northern Ireland have utilised funding to help protect local river water quality and wildlife.
Funding of €1.02 million through the Source to Tap project's agricultural cross-border Land Incentive Scheme saw farmers invest in alternative land-management practices, which can lessen the impact on water quality in nearby rivers.
The pilot scheme has proved a huge success, with farmers addressing issues that affect water quality, including herbicide application by contractors using weed wipers, provision of fencing to prevent livestock from entering watercourses and solar powered drinking troughs. This was made possible through the provision of Personalised Water and Environment Management Plans.
The Land Incentive Scheme is part of the overall €4.9 million EU INTERREG VA- funded cross-border Source to Tap project. The Project is supported by the European Union's INTERREG VA Programme, match-funded by the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland, the Department for Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) in Ireland, and managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).
Diane Foster, NI Water Project Manager, said: "The landowners involved have made a huge impact in protecting river water quality throughout the Derg catchment and we look forward to seeing the improvements continue well into the future."
Although the Land Incentive Scheme is now coming to a close, the project team can still offer free farm visits with a bespoke Water Environment Management Plan. This is a great resource for famers wishing to reduce their herbicide usage and those hoping to prevent sediment loss from the farm. Moreover, farmers who want to learn the weed wiping technique for herbicide application can attend an online rush control webinar planned for mid-September.
The Source to Tap project doesn't work exclusively with landowners: members of the public can also get involved by becoming citizen scientists who monitor water quality in the rivers and streams of the Derg catchment. The Riverfly Monitoring Training event is free to attend and will be held at the Killeter Heritage Centre on the 14 August from 10am-4pm.
