Evidence-based targeting of agricultural measures to reduce nitrogen in catchments to achieve water quality objectives
Summary: This report outlines three updates to the evidence base to support targeting the right measures in the right place to improve water quality. The first update is the assessment of the catchments that need nitrogen load reductions to support good estuarine ecological conditions which incorporates more recent monitoring data since first reported by the EPA in 2021, and some improvements to the assessment methodology. The second update follows the same methodology to look back at changes in the reductions required over a 35-year period since 1990 at representative monitoring stations. Thirdly, the on-line mapping tool for the Farm and Landscape measures for Agriculture (FLAG) map (previously the Targeting Agricultural Measures map) has also been updated with monitoring data up to 2024, along with the other multiple lines of evidence used to indicate where agricultural measures are needed to restore water quality.
The results and data from the report are available for download from : https://gis.epa.ie/GetData/Download. On the menu on the left, click on "Water/ Water Framework Directive", scroll down to “Published Water Quality Data” and select the file "Load Reduction Indicator Data And Results 2025 (Excel)"
https://www.epa.ie/media/epa-2020/publications/monitoring-amp-assessment/freshwater-amp-marine/Cover-pic_T4.PNG