Move to reduce Corrib levels

Date Published: 08-Apr-2010

By Declan Tierney

A CRUCIAL meeting is taking place shortly which could pave the way for alleviating future flooding threats in the Claregalway area and on lands along the banks of the River Clare.

It is hoped that measures can be taken so that the water levels on Lough Corrib can be reduced in the event of heavy rainfall and ease the build-up of water along the River Clare.

In the past fortnight, a number of householders moved back into their homes in the Claregalway area having been forced to move out during the heavy rains of last November.

However, they became concerned for their property again early in the week when the river began to rise once more and they feared that their homes would again be submerged in water.

But emergency efforts were made to address the situation and this resulted in the opening of gates at the Salmon Weir in Galway to allow the Corrib waters into the sea and reduce the levels on both the lake and the River Clare which flows into it.

Galway West TD Frank Fahey said that the millions of euro worth of damage caused to houses last November could have been averted if the gates on the weir had been opened for extended periods.

Last weekend and early this week the River Clare rose by around five feet as most of the Weir gates remained closed during the downpour that was experienced across the county.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune