Coastal Flooding & Erosion in Rush By Liam Gavin
The planning and Strategic Infrastructure Department of Fingal County Council has commissioned a report on “ Options for addressing Coastal Flood Risk Management in the Rogerstown Estuary. ” The full report deals with coastal erosion and flooding in the Burrow Peninsula, Portrane and Rush. The report can be viewed at https://consultationspace.com/Rogerstown/.
This report was produced in association with the Fingal Coastal Liaison Group. This group is made up of County Councillors, Council Officials and Community Representatives from relevant coastal areas in Fingal. More details relating to the working of the Group are available at https://www.fingal.ie/council/service/fingal - coastal - liaison - group The Council arranged a series of both virtual and actual public meetings during September, and people living in the affected areas were invited to attend. The report runs to 38 pages, split between dealing with the problems at The Burrow, Donabate, Portrane and Rush, and the purpose of this article is simply to review some of the main points made in the report, as it applies to our own town. The writer stresses that while this article draws on the Fingal County Council Report, it is a personal view, and it does not attempt to represent the “ official ” position of the council. The Problem in Rush Due to the combination of climate change, raising sea levels, and human activity, our coastline is in a state of change. The evolution of our coasts has been going on for millions of years, as our planet itself evolves and changes. Only a few thousand years ago, it would have been possible to walk from Rush to Lambay Island, and it should come as no surprise to anybody that the shape of our coastline is ever changing. This never seems to occur to people who have a hardwired desire to build homes and develop communities as close to the shoreline as possible, and it has been ever thus. But with the rate of coastal erosion and rising sea levels that we have now, people are finding that the sea is edging closer and closer to their homes. The number of “ once in a lifetime ” storms, floods, and major weather events seems to be increasing, and we need to consider how to protect homes that are likely to suffer the effects of climate change. The report identified eleven different protection measures that required evaluation. Three were immediately dismissed as they were technically unsuitable for this area. Other measures, such as a seawall, building embankments, dune stabilisation, and beach nourishment all had possibilities, and usually some potential drawbacks as well. It also had to be borne in mind that Rogerstown
Estuary is a Special Area of Conservation and a Special Protection Area under the EU Habitats Directive and EU Birds Directive. This meant that some of the “ hard engineered ” coastal protection measures could not be considered. Rush South For the Rush South area, a combination of flood wall, flood gates, and culverts was found to be the most suitable solution. When the effects of sea level rises and potential floods were analysed, this strategy was found to provide a 1 in 200 year standard of protection against flooding and erosion. It also had minimal impact on coastal processes, and it provided a value for money solution that protected the local economy.
This solution would involve regular maintenance, and it could impact on the designated area.
For as long as many people can remember, the Spout Road has been regularly flooded in times of even relatively heavy rainfall. The river flowing down past the disused mill at the bottom of Beau Hill becomes a torrent, running under the road at the junction of the Spout Road and the main road to Lusk. When this co - incides with high tides and an onshore wind, the fields on the seaward side of the Spout Road become inundated, and the road floods.
The plan concentrates on the Rush South area, which scientists believe is at the greatest danger.
Rush North The flooding risk is much less along the North Beach, and it was considered that a monitoring programme, reviewed every 5 years, would be sufficient over the short to long term. Owing to the limited erosion and flood risk for Rush North, the preferred option is for No Active Intervention, with five yearly reviews as climate change trends and local effects may change over time. It is considered that over the short to medium term, there is minimal risk to property along the North Beach area, but depending on future climate change, there is a small likelihood that up to 6 building could be affected by erosion.
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