See Water Differently – Middle River Study

Learning more about Galway Rivers, Canals, & Waterfalls

Project inspired by the ‘See Water Differently’ Campaign #WaterWiseEU


Over the last few months, Galway Atlantaquaria has truly embraced the EU WaterWise Campaign to become a freshwater ambassador.

One of the Campaign messages proposed a simple yet profound question:

WHAT IF WE SAW WATER DIFFERENTLY?

The Aquarium loved this idea and sought answers to this question. We explored and recorded a host of rivers, canals, waterfalls, and lakes from all over Galway to seek ideas to tell a freshwater story. 

After completing this challenge, we are ready to present our answer.

Here is the main theme of the campaign.

Bridges in Galway City,
See Water Differently, IMAGE 1. The River Corrib bridges, Salmon Weir (1818), ‘Droichead an Dóchais’ – Bridge of Hope (2024), O’Briens bridge (1558), and Wolfe Tone Bridge (1848).

Dive into the EU campaign to see water differently.

Understand why Europe’s water systems are under increasing stress. Find out how we can all work together to transform the way water is managed, used and valued.

Discover why we need to protect nature and ecosystems that are at the heart of the water cycle. Learn about the many water solutions out there.

Together, we have what it takes to get this right. We can fix the water cycle. We can use water efficiently across the EU. We can make sure we all have access to clean and affordable freshwater. The time is now to be….

#WaterWiseEU

The campaign provided the ambassadors with a wealth of visuals, messages, facts, and toolkits to promote the “See Water Differently” (SWD) initiative.

Galway Atlantaquaria joined with hundreds of people all over Europe to tell their WaterWise Story.

Typically, after supporting such campaigns, we move on to the next. However, this one was different. It inspired us to showcase Galway City in a unique way.

While we are still figuring out why we invested so much energy into this campaign, our interpretation might reveal why we loved sharing and reimagining the SWD Campaign through the lens of Galway City & The Aquarium.

The area in question is quite short, but thanks to Galway City Council and the City Waterways Tour there is ample history and heritage signage along the way. This interpretation can help increase people’s awareness of the rivers importance to our history.

Fish in the Aquarium.
Image 2. Freshwater fish at Galway Aquarium.

After all, Galway is renowned for its rivers. Phil James of Galway Waterways states:

“Galway is a city that has always been shaped by water. Up until the early 19th century it was a city of streams and islands. In fact, its original Gaelic name was Baile na Sruthán, City of Streams. No other geographical feature has influenced the history and development of Galway more than its waterways. The original Stone Age and Celtic peoples settled in Galway because of the abundance of salmon, eels, and trout in the rivers.

The Anglo-Normans established their outpost in Galway in the 13th century because of the defensive characteristics provided by water on three sides. The strength of the River Corrib was harnessed during the 16th through the 19th centuries by creating canals and channels to drive water wheels that powered 30 businesses from milling to distilling.”

Image 3. A rare and Red Listed Anguilla anguilla in Friar’s River, Galway City.

The best campaigns come from a position of strength, and with our abundant freshwater sources, we felt confident in presenting a fantastic campaign, story, and interpretation of “See Water Differently.” We did our very best!

Over the last few weeks, the Aquarium has:

  • Learned some incredible facts about freshwater:
    • 40% of people worldwide already feel the effects of water scarcity. We need to change our attitude towards water and transform how we manage, use, and value it.
    • Less than 3% of the world’s water is freshwater, and most of this is unavailable for human consumption. The water cycle, vital for all life, is being disrupted by climate change and ecosystem degradation. By safeguarding nature, we can help restore balance.

Different types of water include:

  • Blue water: Found in lakes, rivers, and groundwater, vital for drinking and agriculture.
    • Green water: Found in plants, soil, and forests, crucial for the water cycle.
    • Grey water: Treated city and industrial water that can be reused.
    • Black water: Wastewater from toilets, which requires treatment to avoid contaminating freshwater sources.
  • See the Colour of Water Video
    • Shared the #WaterWise Campaign on social media.
    • Created three detailed surveys of Galway’s River, Canal, and Waterfalls through PDF brochures (to be rolled out soon).
    • Developed a unique playlist of recorded footage, focusing on the color, biodiversity, and fragility of these freshwater resources.

Key Video Highlights:

Waterfall Scicomm.
Image 4. We explored what type of species we could find when visiting a waterfall.
Water experiment.
Image 5. Water Experiments Booklet
Waterfall Map.
Image 6. Test Signage and Interpretation (1 of 4). QR Codes linked to video to be added.

Identified Five Actions for Further Development:

  1. Can we produce food and products with less water?

Pending work with local business

  1. How can our waters bring us joy?

Galway Atlantaquaria to promote the BLUE & GREEN spaces in Salthill

  1. How can we protect ourselves from floods and droughts?

Galway Atlantaquaria has recorded the development of the Sand Fence Nature Based Solutions NbS in Salthill for the last two years. (2023-2024)

https://www.facebook.com/ILikeBeachesGalway

  1. How can we bring life back to our waters?

Galway Atlantaquaria to continue its work with IOLN Irish Ocean Literacy Network, BIAZA, and EAZA.

  1. How can we cut pollution at its source?

Galway Atlantaquaria to commit to Clean Coasts Beach Cleans.

A primary ongoing action

To communicate water, sources, threats, protections, in a way that is more easily accessible to all. To bridge science and science communication facts.

Learning from New Sources:

The Keeling Curve is a graph representing the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in Earth’s atmosphere over time, named after Charles David Keeling.

Contrasting Viewpoints:

During our research, we encountered conflicting information on social media, such as channels denying the CO2 data.

We trust the campaign sources, but navigating these contrasting viewpoints raises questions about verifying information in the era of disinformation, AI, and bots.

Data Gaps and Missed Opportunities:

We noticed data gaps, particularly in geoscience knowledge. Collaborating with Geological Survey Ireland and other experts will be crucial for future projects.

Despite these limitations in knowledge, technology and resources, we aimed to present the best of Galway’s freshwater ecosystems.

Looking Forward:

We plan to work with GSI and LAWPRO in 2025 and enhance our collaboration with Galway Waterways. Although our resources are limited, our goal is to seek answers to the question:

WHAT IF WE SAW WATER DIFFERENTLY?

We believe this series has fulfilled the initial objectives of the SWD, and we hope you appreciate our Freshwater take on the WaterWise Campaign.

We have done our best to tell our water story. Acknowledging the significant challenges our freshwater resources face, we aim to engage, inspire, and educate people about these issues, as we believe that’s a strong starting point.

Let’s be WaterWise together!

Map of Galway.
Image 8. Click on the image and you can see how many water sources surround Galway City and County and realise how challenging it is to maintain these resources.

Acknowledgments:

Galway Atlantaquaria thanks the team at Directorate-General ENV:

  • EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT: Maroš Šefčovič
  • DIRECTOR-GENERAL: Florika Fink-Hooijer
  • DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL: Patrick Anthony Child

And the team at #WaterWiseEU Secretariat, researchers, and more. We truly LOVED this project!

Sources & Resources

Context

Ireland’s rivers face several pollution issues, primarily stemming from marine litter, climate change, biodiversity loss, agricultural runoff, wastewater discharges, and industrial activities. Here are some key concerns:

1. Agricultural Runoff:

  • Nutrient Pollution: The use of fertilizers and manure in agriculture leads to high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus entering rivers. These nutrients can cause eutrophication, leading to excessive growth of algae and aquatic plants, which deplete oxygen levels in the water.
  • Pesticides: Runoff from agricultural fields can carry pesticides into rivers, harming aquatic life and potentially affecting human health.

2. Wastewater Discharges:

  • Sewage Treatment Plants: Inadequate or poorly managed sewage treatment plants can discharge untreated or partially treated wastewater into rivers, introducing harmful bacteria, viruses, and chemicals.
  • Septic Tanks: Improperly maintained septic tanks in rural areas can leak, contaminating rivers with pathogens and nutrients.

3. Industrial Pollution:

  • Chemical Discharges: Industries located near rivers may discharge chemicals and heavy metals, which can be toxic to aquatic life and pose health risks to humans.
  • Thermal Pollution: Industries using river water for cooling can discharge heated water back into the rivers, disrupting the local ecosystem.

4. Urban Runoff:

  • Stormwater: Urban areas contribute to river pollution through stormwater runoff, which can carry oils, heavy metals, and other pollutants from roads and pavements into rivers.
  • Litter and Plastics: Litter, including plastics, often ends up in rivers, affecting wildlife and degrading water quality.

5. Historical and Legacy Pollution:

  • Mining Activities: Historical mining activities have left a legacy of pollution, with heavy metals leaching into rivers from abandoned mine sites.
  • Industrial Legacy: Past industrial activities may have contaminated river sediments with persistent pollutants.

How is Ireland combating these issues?

Monitoring and Regulation:

  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): The EPA monitors river water quality and enforces regulations to reduce pollution. However, enforcement and compliance can be challenging.
  • EU Directives: Ireland is subject to European Union directives, such as the Water Framework Directive, which aim to protect and improve water quality.
waterbody types in Ireland.

What is the Water Framework Directive? The Water Framework Directive (‘the Directive’) was adopted by member states across Europe in 2000. It requires, in summary terms, that all waters (rivers, lakes, groundwater, estuaries, coastal water, canals and reservoirs) are protected and that measures are put in place to ensure quality of these waters is restored to at least ‘good’ status or good potential (with some narrow exceptions) by 2027 at the latest.

Restoration Projects:

  • River Basin Management Plans: Ireland has developed river basin management plans to address pollution and improve water quality. These plans involve multiple stakeholders, including government agencies, farmers, industries, and local communities.
  • Catchment-based Approaches: Initiatives like the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) focus on managing water quality at the catchment level, addressing sources of pollution collaboratively.

The Importance of Water Water is the foundation of sustainable rural and urban life, the core of a thriving society. Well managed and protected water catchments provide vital public goods: reliable, clean water to drink; sanitation; protection against flooding; support for biodiverse ecosystems and climate mitigation. However, water is a fragile resource that needs to be protected.

Water protection is multifaceted and so needs a holistic management approach. RBMP – 2022-2027 (River Basin Management Plan)

GALWAY WATERWAYS FOUNDATION WEBSITE

GALWAY CITY MUSEUM WEBSITE

https://irishwaterwayshistory.com/abandoned-or-little-used-irish-waterways/wa-

WATER FOOTPRINT NETWORK WEBSITE

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