It is the disappearing lake which has not vanished for six consecutive years. Lough Funshinagh, west of Ireland, drains through a swallowhole. It is as if someone has turned the water off in a bathtub.
Nature’s plumbing in this turlough broke down for some unknown reason, flooding an area twice the size of normal lakes and threatening homes as well as livelihoods.
Roscommon County Council stopped work to drain the lake artificially using a pipeline that runs for 2.5 miles (4km) to the River Shannon. Friends of the Irish Environment sued the authority, claiming that no environmental impact assessment was done, which is in violation of EU rules.
A high court order that stops flood relief has caused a bitter dispute. Some residents claim that Ireland’s scientists and political leaders would do everything to find a solution if coastal Dublin homes were at risk.
Mary Beatties’ home is surrounded by sandbags the size of an industrial plant for over a year. Her garden has also been partially submerged. The 69-year old said that there are even life belts around her submerged farmland. Have you ever seen anything like it before?
Beattie stated she would move up to the top floor if her house became inundated.
Local residents feel abandoned by flood relief and that inaction has caused havoc to the environment. All of the rare fauna, such as whooper swans and curlews, that were supported by seasonal waters, have disappeared.
Geraldine Murray, a local resident, stated that the law is the only winner. They are gone now, along with the geese and other wildlife.
Tom Carney stood on what appears to be a mangrove thicket as the flood waters inundated his farm. He said that the flooding was a terrible affliction for the entire community.
The sad thing about it is that no one knows what happened, said the 70-year old. Nobody knows if it’s due to climate change, collapse in underground caverns, obstructions or other factors.
Funshinagh, one of the largest turloughs of Ireland, is officially a Priority 1 habitat and of major ecological significance under EU law. It is supplied with both surface water during heavy rain and groundwater via springs that rise from the karst limestone rockrock.
Carney said that he recalled when the lake would slowly drain out, disappear down the swallow hole, and make a whirlpool-like sound as the last drop of water goes underground.
According to the International Association of Hydrogeologists(pdf) In 2016, the water level rose 2 metres above normal, causing severe and prolonged flooding. Based on slow outflow, it was determined that it would take 600-600 days for floodwaters to drain. This would assume that there were no more flood events. The IAH reported this in a 2018 study.
The farmers in the area don’t want the lake to completely drain, but they fear that the situation for their habitat and homes will worsen if it rains again next winter. According to them, septic tanks could be flooded and effluent will flow into the lake which has been deemed the cleanest in the country.
We farmers want it to regulate itself. We just want it to be as respectful and dignified as before. Bernadette Mee points out the acres of native larch and ash that were destroyed by flooding on her farm.
Murray and Carney agree that it is ironic that the habitat EU law was created to protect has been destroyed.
Mee stated that the air above the shoreline should be filled up with feathers and the chitter chatter of birds at this time of year. They are not on the shoreline, Mee said. The reed beds are gone and they have no cover.
Mee stated that it was difficult to see the water before 2016, because of the vast expanses of rushes or reed bed. The vegetation provided cover for the swans and allowed them to eat the tadpoles as well as nutrients on the lake’s floor.
Roscommon county council stated it had made every effort to find a method to provide emergency relief that would allow families to remain in their homes. Friends of the Irish Environment however, challenged the council at every stage.
Eoin Brady, a lawyer representing campaign groups, stated that the council had twice sought approval for a project to extract a large volume of water from a protected area without conducting environmental assessments as legally required.
If Roscommon county council had done as they intended and implemented a lawful plan, it is possible that flood relief measures could be in place at Lough Funshinagh. He said that this legal proceeding has taught public authorities an important lesson about how to deal with climate change impacts.
