Water-friendly Farming

Boyne Water Protection Project

The Boyne Rivers Trust has launched its water-friendly farming project, the ‘Boyne Water Protection Project’, providing one-to-one, non-regulatory, water-friendly farming advice to farmers and landowners in the Boyne catchment. The project is in collaboration with The Rivers Trust Ireland.

Project Aims

The project aims to reduce the levels of nutrients and sediment entering waterways from agriculture in the Boyne River catchment, through one-to-one, non-regulatory, water-friendly farming advice, knowledge-building activities, improved farm infrastructure and nature-based solutions. The project will include the development of bespoke farm plans for the participating farmers, and support in sourcing funding for the suggested water protection measures.

Background

Rainwater falling onto yards, laneways, and fields, picks up manure and slurry, silage effluent, agri-chemicals, and soil, transporting them to nearby rivers and streams. Here they impact on water quality and the precious wildlife our rivers support.

51% of waterbodies in the Boyne catchment are At Risk of not meeting the environmental objectives of the Water Framework Directive by 2027. Agriculture is the leading pressure on these At Risk waterbodies in the catchment, followed by hydromorphological pressures and domestic wastewater (EPA, 2024).

The main pressures from agriculture are nutrients and sediment entering our water bodies. Excess nutrients in water can cause algal blooms, depleting the water of oxygen and disrupting the aquatic ecosystem. Similarly, sediment entering our waterways can cause the build-up of silt in riverbeds, altering vital habitat and destroying spawning grounds for fish such as salmon.

Through the Boyne Water Protection Project, the Trust will support farmers in identifying opportunities to improve water quality on their farm and land, to prevent soil, sediment and nutrients from entering our waterways. This includes actions such as restricting livestock access to waterbodies, encouraging the use of catch crops to take up excess nutrients, planting hedgerows and trees to act as a buffer, and ensuring adequate clean and soiled water separation in the yard. The Trust’s Farm Advisor will work with farmers to design bespoke water protection measures that are effective and practical, and support them in sourcing funding for their implementation.

Project Updates

  • New Farm Advisor

    We are delighted to welcome Sarah Austin, the new Farm Advisor and Project Support Officer at the Boyne Rivers Trust. Sarah will lead on our water-friendly farming project the ‘Boyne Water Protection Project’, providing advice and support to farmers on ways to improve water quality in the Boyne catchment. Sarah has a background in Agriculture, Natural Science, and Sustainable Development, with experience in environmental education and change management.

  • Farm Advisor Shadowing

    Our Farm Advisor, Sarah, had the pleasure of visiting Ballinderry Rivers Trust and shadowing their Agricultural Advisors on some farm visits. Ballinderry Rivers Trust have a well-established Water-friendly Farming programme, and have developed excellent relationships with participating farmers.

  • Farm Visits

    Farm visits are taking place across the catchment, and several opportunities for water quality improvement have been identified, from fencing of rivers and providing alternative drinking sources, to tree planting, to new gutters on sheds. We are developing bespoke farm plans for each farmer, outlining the suggested water protection measures.

    We would like to thank all of the farmers who have welcomed us and taken the time to show us their farms.

Partnering with The Rivers Trust

The Boyne Rivers Trust is delighted to work alongside The Rivers Trust Ireland in implementing the Boyne Water Protection Project.