The Environmental Protection Agency undertakes an annual survey of the water quality of estuaries and near shore coastal waters.
In general, the water quality status of these waters is considered to be high. Some estuaries, mainly those in the south and east, however, are over-enriched with nutrients and have been classed as eutrophic.
In the latest Water Quality In Ireland 2005 report, which covers the period 2001-2005, a total of 10 estuaries or less than 15% of those waters surveyed were classified as eutrophic.
