Concern over ‘excessive clearing’ of vegetation along the River Barrow

CONCERN has been expressed about the “excessive clearing” of vegetation along the River Barrow in recent weeks and its destructive impact of local wildlife.

The Nationalist has learned that as part of Waterways Ireland’s general maintenance programme on the River Barrow, large sections of vegetation have been cleared, particularly along the riparian, an area on the bank of the river.

“Large areas have been cleared in a way that has never happened before,” said Art Mooney, a Carlow resident and regular walker alongside the Barrow. “It’s just above Maganey bridge on the Athy side. I would call it excessive clearing; areas have been cleared that normally wouldn’t be touched.

“It is such a fabulous resource and it’s such a pity to see it being treated in such a way,” said Art.

The Save the Barrow Track Facebook page has also stated its disgust at the recent Waterways Ireland work.

‘Kilometres of river riparian have been boned with an auger, clearing the banks of any plants, which provide cover, food and shade for fish and birds over the winter,’ it says. ‘Any trees have been hacked back to make sure there are no perches for the likes of dippers and kingfisher. A large patch of wildflowers has been cleared above Maganey bridge, which was a haven for native wildflowers and was one of the few places that one could consistently see the Common Blue Butterfly.’ People Before Profit general election candidate cllr Adrienne Wallace has called on minister Malcolm Noonan to weigh in on the apparent environmental damage that Waterways Ireland has caused to the Barrow.

“It seems that Waterways Ireland have become a law unto themselves,” said cllr Wallace. “They have recently cleared a large patch of native flowers above Maganey bridge, which was one of the few places where the Common Blue Butterfly could be observed. Various other species of butterfly were known to also lay their eggs on the sorrel there. In addition, further up the river, nearly half an acre of rushes was also cleared, with no obvious explanation for these works.

“Questions need to be asked and the Green minister should be focused on ensuring any works carried out by Waterways Ireland are done in tandem with preserving the local biodiversity,” said cllr Wallace. “What’s especially shocking is that this is a Special Area of Conservation and a Natura 2000 site.” In a statement to The Nationalist, Waterways Ireland said: ‘We are mindful of our statutory remit to undertake the care, management, control, maintenance, repair, improvement and development of the canals and other canal property’, adding that this includes the Barrow Line and Navigation.

‘We maintain the Barrow Trackway throughout the year so that it is safe for recreational use, such as walking and also so that Waterways Ireland vehicles and machinery can use the trackway for operational reasons. We only cut adjoining grassy verges and bankside vegetation once a year. This is a health and safety measure to mitigate the growth of overhanging branches into the Barrow. Branches of this type can cause safety risks to people using the water. Waterways Ireland is a partner of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan and is careful to ensure that this work is carried out in accordance with their guidelines,’ the statement read.

Waterways Ireland clarified that hedgerows are also cut once a year, between September and the end of February, which is deemed to be the minimum necessary to ensure that the trackway remains open for use by the public and Waterways Ireland.

‘In relation to the works referred to upstream of Maganey bridge, these are confined to the Barrow Trackway. They are an essential part of the maintenance of this trackway structure. The vegetation maintenance works involve hedge and grass/scrub cutting only,’ Waterways Ireland concluded.