Taming the River Blackwater, one of Ireland's most majestic but often cruel water courses, will not be easy. Major earth works which raise embankments and change flood lines might be necessary if the flooding that caused such destruction to the towns of Mallow and Fermoy over the years is to be prevented. A plan before the Office of Public Works (OPW) designed by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UCC with a proven record in flood control may at last provide the answer. However, the solution will not be cheap.
Conservative estimates suggest it may cost £30 million to put in place the measures necessary in both towns to reduce the threat of the river. Despite improved early warnings systems, when the Blackwater bursts it banks, sandbagging and removing valuable items to higher ground can only reduce damage. But inevitably, when the flood comes, it leaves behind a predictable trail of destruction known only too well to domestic and commercial property owners.
As both towns continue to grow, with the urban element encroaching increasingly on what used to be a rural setting, the cost to businesses and homeowners will rise unless the floods can be prevented or reduced significantly.
In the worst affected areas, it has become impossible for townspeople or many retail shop owners to have their properties insured. The flooding is regarded as "an Act of God" about which little can be done. Rubbish skips filled with ruined domestic goods and shop fittings are a common sight after the floods. The solution proposed by the UCC team, says Mr Tom Hernon, Mallow Urban District Council divisional engineer, may be the one that brings relief to the two communities. On-site investigations of the river flow and its contours as well as computer modelling and analysis, have identified a strategy that should remove the "pinch points" which force the river to jump its banks. Substantial earth works are required involving digging compound channels. New embankments will be raised and the flood line of the river will be changed. All of this, he concedes, may have implications for the natural life of the river, and accordingly, an environmental impact statement (EIS) will be carried out before any work begins.
The Blackwater is a great natural habitat for fish and bird life and to anglers the world over it is known chiefly as one of the major salmon and trout rivers. It is also a coarse fishery of repute. Much needed as the remedial plan is, it is vital the EIS should address how the delicate eco-balance of the river can be maintained while the work is going on.
Mr Hernon says the records show that in 1853, 1857, 1916, 1946, 1948, 1969 and 1980, there was serious flooding of the Blackwater. Last November and early December, television showed large areas of both towns again under several feet of water. The Army, Civil Defence personnel and local authority workers were out around the clock in the towns, mopping up and trying to save what they could.
The years given list only major flooding episodes but with regular monotony there have been numerous other, equally distressing occurrences. Given the right conditions, the floods can strike very quickly in Mallow.
Fermoy is somewhat more fortunate, being farther along the Blackwater. It usually has several hours' notice of what's to come. In Fermoy, the most recent floods may have cost the town as much as £500,000. The damage in Mallow can also be estimated in hundreds of thousands of pounds.
The UCC team which examined the Blackwater was led by Prof Gerard Kiely who had been called in previously by communities in two other Cork towns, Kanturk and Blarney, to tackle their flooding problems. Using methods similar to those proposed for the Blackwater, Prof Kiely's plan brought relief to the towns. In both cases, they have been virtually free of floods for many years.
"We don't presume to say there will never again be flooding but the plan was a success in Kanturk and Blarney where there had been very serious problems, so there are grounds for optimism that it will be a success on the Blackwater as well," Prof Kiely said.
Members of the UDCs in Fermoy, Mallow and Cork County Council will now consider his report. A technical steering committee will then be established. The project, which will take five years to complete, is expected to be given the green light by the OPW.