Have communities began to take ownership of local rivers?

Is this a new trend? asks Donal Hickey. 

We could be seeing the start of a trend whereby communities are taking ownership of their local rivers. A fish kill in the catchment of the River Maigue, in Co Limerick, three years ago, has led to the setting up of a new trust “to protect, enhance, and cherish the rivers and lakes of the Maigue catchment for the benefit and enjoyment of all”.

The community came together following a fill kill in the River Loobagh, one of the main tributaries of the Maigue, to look at ways of ensuring such does not happen again. Steps are being taken to improve the habitat for fish, while an awareness programme and a pilot project to control the invasive plant, giant hogweed, are also being introduced.