CONCERN AT the proposed extraction of 500 million litres of water daily at certain times from Lough Derg has been expressed by a Tipperary marine biologist.
Dublin City Council has announced plans to pump water during high-flow and flooding periods from northern Lough Derg into large storage lakes in Co Offaly for the Dublin region.
Dan Minchin of the Lough Derg Science Group said water flow and circulation in the lough were important for its health.
“The abstraction of water from the proposed site at the top end of Lough Derg would reduce the overall flow through the lake which may be important during warm periods when there is little wind.
“The option to abstract water at the Parteen Dam, at the lower end of Lough Derg, would at least enable the water to pass through the lake before being removed and this option should be revisited.”