For more information on this dataset please go to https://gis.epa.ie/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/5f1999f0-37e4-4c14-acf8-3b42bfdae894The Teagasc Subsoils map classifies the subsoils of Ireland into 16 themes, using digital stereo photogrammetry supported by field work. Produced by Teagasc (Kinsealy), EPA and GSI.The dataset was created using a compilation of existing data, photogrammetric mapping, field studies. Soil survey maps, Quaternary maps and published and unpublished reports were complied and boundaries between sediment types are interpreted and mapped using photo-interpretation in a soft copy photogrammetric workstation with digital stereo-pairs of black and white photography acquired at a scale of 1:40,000. Fieldwork was carried out, around the flanks of large bogs delineate the exact boundary between peat and mineral soils but predominantly within the boundary zones of differencing subsoils. Areas mapped during the photogrammetric analysis were also checked during the fieldwork. Methods adopted during field mapping include reconnaissance mapping, auger sampling, trenching, digital photography and GPS data recording. Aerial photography datasets involved in mapping were acquired in 1995 while field data collected was collected during 1998-2005.The classification of subsoils is based on the classification used by the Geological Survey of Ireland Quaternary Section in mapping Quaternary sediment types.This classification has been altered only to ensure utility specific to the requirements of the EPA Soil and Subsoil Mapping Project. (Please refer to "Teagasc-EPA Soils and Subsoils Mapping Project - Final Report" for more information. Available for download at https://gis.epa.ie)

This water flow network dataset is a route feature class rather than a simple polyline. The geometry is generated by merging the river lines of individual geometric network datasets. This layer contains an integrated flow network that includes known flow connections through rivers, lakes and groundwater aquifers. In places where the network is depicted flowing through lakes or through underground channels, the flow channels are schematic only, and do not represent the precise location of these flow channels. The appropriate Geological Survey Ireland data sets should be consulted where underground flows or connections are known or suspected.River Network RoutesMetadata:http://gis.epa.ie/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/c4043e19-38ec-4120-a588-8cd01ac94a9cDownload Data: https://gis.epa.ie/GetData/DownloadWater / Water Framework Directive - General Information- Catchments Data Package - October 2021orWater / Water Framework Directive - RIVERS AND LAKES - OSI Rivers and Lakes - 06/02/2020Lake SegmentsMetadata:http://gis.epa.ie/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/c4040e19-38ec-4120-a588-8cd01ac94a9cDownload Data: https://gis.epa.ie/GetData/DownloadWater / Water Framework Directive - RIVERS AND LAKES - OSI Rivers and Lakes - 06/02/2020

This water flow network dataset is a route feature class rather than a simple polyline. The geometry is generated by merging the river lines of individual geometric network datasets. This layer contains an integrated flow network that includes known flow connections through rivers, lakes and groundwater aquifers. In places where the network is depicted flowing through lakes or through underground channels, the flow channels are schematic only, and do not represent the precise location of these flow channels. The appropriate Geological Survey Ireland data sets should be consulted where underground flows or connections are known or suspected.For more information on this dataset please go to https://gis.epa.ie/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/c4043e19-38ec-4120-a588-8cd01ac94a9c

This map shows a prediction of the number of the houses in any one area that are likely to have high radon levels. Those areas in red are most at risk from radon and are called High Radon Areas. The map is based on an analysis of indoor radon measurements plus geological information including, bedrock type, quaternary geology, soil permeability and aquifer type. The areas of the map in orange and yellow are areas of medium and low risk respectively..

This map shows a prediction of the number of homes in a given grid square that exceed the national Reference Level. Grid squares in which the predicted percentage of homes is 10% or greater are called High Radon Areas.For more information on this dataset please go to https://gis.epa.ie/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/3b2e9226-c40a-44c9-b4f0-7234c0810769

This map shows drainage classes of soils across Ireland based on examination of the soil profile. Organic soils, comprising either peat or alluvium, are separated out from four drainage classes across mineral soils; well drained, imperfectly drained, poorly drained or very poorly drained. Made ground in urban areas is also illustrated.

Corine Land Cover 2018 is the 2018 update of the COPERNICUS pan-European landcover data series. This dataset is the Irish national CORINE 2018 dataset, covering the Republic of Ireland, which will be integrated into a seamless CORINE 2018 landcover map of Europe. The dataset is based on interpretation of satellite imagery and national in-situ vector data. It is mapped to the standard CORINE classification system (link) and data specifications - minimum mapping unit (mmu) of 25ha and the minimum feature width of 100m.For more information on this dataset please go to https://gis.epa.ie/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/fb5d2fa9-95fe-4d3f-8aed-e548348a40ea

The Teagasc Subsoils map classifies the subsoils of Ireland into 16 themes, using digital stereo photogrammetry supported by field work. Produced by Teagasc (Kinsealy), EPA and GSI.

Public Water Supplies (PWSs) are managed by Irish Water, Ireland's national water utility, since 2013. Before this, public water supplies were managed by Local Authorities. More than 70% of public supplies take groundwater from boreholes, springs and infiltration galleries. This accounts for about 23% by volume (Irish Water, 2018).Source Protection Areas (SPAs) are areas outlined around groundwater abstraction points (e.g. borehole or spring) which provide drinking water. The aim of the SPAs is to protect groundwater by placing tighter controls on activities within all or part of the zone of contribution (ZOC) of the source. The Zone of Contribution (ZOC) is the land area that contributes water to the well or spring.Two Source Protection Areas (SPAs) are outlined. The Inner Protection Area (SI) aims to protect against the effects of human activities that might have an immediate effect on the source and, in particular, against microbial pollution. The Outer Protection Area (SO) covers the rest of the zone of contribution (ZOC) to the groundwater abstraction point.Not all groundwater-fed public supply sources have SPAs outlined around them. Most studies (more than 125) have been carried out by the Geological Survey Ireland as part of County Groundwater Protection Schemes. The Environmental Protection Agency carried out more than 40 studies as part of the national groundwater monitoring network characterisation. Further studies have been carried out by consultancies for Local Authorities and Irish Water.Different methods are used to map the entire Zone of Contribution to a spring, borehole or well, resulting in different degrees of confidence associated with the boundaries of the delineated area. To be able to specify the Inner Protection Zone within the entire Zone of Contribution, knowledge or estimates of groundwater travel time within the aquifer are needed (e.g. from site-specific hydrogeological parameters or tracer tests).Source Protection Areas have been mapped by the GSI and EPA following the ‘GSI method’ (e.g., GSI/EPA/IGI Source Protection Zonation course, 2009; Kelly, 2010; DELG/EPA/GSI, 1999). These SPAs were mapped as part of County Groundwater Protection Schemes or as part of the WFD Groundwater Monitoring network characterisation. Other SPAs have been mapped by consultants for Local Authorities/Irish Water. They have not been peer-reviewed by the GSI. The Zone of Contribution and the Source Protection Area account for the ‘horizontal’ movement of groundwater. Source Protection Zones are obtained by integrating the Source Protection Areas with the groundwater vulnerability categories. The Source Protection Zone includes the complete pathway, both vertical and horizontal, for re-charge and any entrained contaminants to the abstraction point.Whereas the aim of delineating ZOCs is to define approximate areas that contribute water to an abstraction point, the aim of SPZs is to geo-scientifically characterise the pathway and receptor elements of risk to groundwater within the ZOC of a given source (Kelly, 2010). EPA prepared an advice note on “Source Protection and Catchment Management to protect Groundwater Supplies” that outlines the key measures and policies in place in Ireland (EPA, 2011).This map shows the location of SPA's which have been mapped around public supplies of groundwater in Ireland. This map is to the scale 1:20,000. This means it should be viewed at that scale. When printed at that scale 1cm on the map relates to a distance of 200m.It is a vector dataset. Vector data portray the world using points, lines, and polygons (areas).The data is shown as polygons. Each polygon holds information on Source Protection Area such as name, code, id, data source, county, reviewed by GSI and links to online reportsGroup Water Schemes (GWSs) are community-run water supply schemes. About 70% of GWSs take their water from a privately-sourced supply. The rest take their water from an Irish Water connection (DHPLG, 2017). 81% of the privately-sourced supplies affiliated to the National Federation of Group Water Schemes (NFGWS) take groundwater from boreholes, springs and dug wells. This is around 54% by volume (NFGWS, 2018).The NFGWS is the representative for community-owned rural water services in Ireland. The NFGWS assists schemes in meeting the challenges of water quality legislation and promotes a ‘multi-barrier approach’ to source protection. The ‘multi-barrier approach’ includes delineation of the Zone of Contribution to a supply source. A Zone of Contribution (ZOC) is the land area that contributes water to a well or spring (Misstear et al., 2006). It can be considered as the ‘catchment’ to the supply source. Like surface water bodies, springs have natural catchment areas, whereas catchment areas to boreholes depend on a number of hydrogeological and meteorological factors plus the abstraction rate. A ZOC accounts for the ‘horizontal’ movement of groundwater and any entrained contamination once it has reached the water table and is moving towards the abstraction point. The aim of delineating ZOCs is to define the area that contributes water to an abstraction point. Knowledge of where the water is coming from is critical when trying to interpret water quality data at the groundwater source. The ZOC also provides an area in which to focus further investigation and is an area where protective measures can be introduced to maintain or improve the quality of groundwater.Different methods can be used to map the ZOC to a spring, borehole or dug well, resulting in different degrees of confidence associated with the boundaries of the de-lineated area. The ZOCs and accompanying reports should be considered as preliminary source protection studies. The work was undertaken by consultants under supervision and review by GSI, and represents a partnership between the GWSs, the NFGWS and GSI. The work was funded through the Rural Water Programme funding initiative of grants towards specific source protection works on GWSs (DECLG Circular L5/13 and Explanatory Memorandum).The ZOCs were delineated in the period 2011 to 2019. The maps produced are based largely on the readily available information in the area, a field walkover survey, and on mapping techniques which use inferences and judgements based on experience at other sites. As such, the maps cannot claim to be definitively accurate across the whole area covered and should not be used as the sole basis for site-specific decisions, which will usually require the collection of additional site-specific data.This map shows the location of ZOCs which have been mapped around GWS supplies of groundwater in Ireland. This map is to the scale 1:20,000. This means it should be viewed at that scale. When printed at that scale 1cm on the map relates to a distance of 200m.It is a vector dataset. Vector data portray the world using points, lines, and polygons (areas).The data is shown as polygons. Each polygon holds information on name, year and consultant.

National Soils Map.The national soils map was created by Teagasc in 2006, under a project funded by the EPA and DECLG, with input from the Geological Survey Ireland.The soils map classifies soils into 25 classes, at a scale equivalent to 1:50,000.Data and reports can be downloaded from the EPA website.Data Download: Soils and Subsoils - Soils - Nationalhttp://gis.epa.ie/GetData/DownloadMetadata: http://gis.epa.ie/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/40ba5a34-05f8-4b2d-b3ba-5ca6a35cf3fd

For more information on this dataset please go to https://gis.epa.ie/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/2cd0c5e9-83b2-49a9-8c3e-79675ffd18bfSIS SOIL:The new Irish Soil Information System concludes a 5 year programme, supported by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency (STRIVE Research Programme 2007-2013) and Teagasc, to develop a new 1:250,000 scale national soil map (https://soils.teagasc.ie). The Irish Soil Information System adopted a unique methodology combining digital soil mapping techniques with traditional soil survey application. Developing earlier work conducted by An Foras Talúntais, the project generated soil-landscape models for previously surveyed counties. These soil-landscape (‘soilscape’) models formed the basis for training statistical ‘inference engines’ for predicting soil mapping units, checked during field survey. 213 soil series are identified, each with differing characteristics, having contrasting environmental and agronomic responses. Properties were recorded in a database able to satisfy national and EU policy requirements. The Irish soil map and related soil property data will also serve public interest, providing the means to learn online about Irish soil resources. Use the Symbology layer file 'SOIL_SISNationalSoil.lyr' based on Value Field 'Association_Unit'. SIS SOIL DRAINAGE:In Ireland, soil drainage category is considered to have a predominant influence on soil processes (Schulte et al., 2012). The maritime climate of Ireland drives wet soil conditions, such that excess soil moisture in combination with heavy textured soils is considered a key constraint in relation to achieving productivity and environmental targets. Both soil moisture content and the rate at which water drains from the soil are critical indicators of soil physical quality and the overall functional capacity of soil. Therefore, a natural extension to the Irish Soil Information System included the development of an indicative soil drainage map for Ireland. The soil subgroup map was used to develop the indicative drainage map, based on diagnostic criteria relating to the subgroup categorization. Use the Symbology layer file 'SOIL_SISSoilDrainage.lyr' based on Value Field 'Drainage'. SIS SOIL DEPTH: Soil depth is a measure of the thickness of the soil cover and reflects the relationship between parent material and length of soil forming processes. Soil depth determines the potential rooting depth of plants and any restrictions within the soil that may hinder rooting depth. Plants derive nearly 80 per cent of their water needs from the upper part of the soil solum, i.e. where the root system is denser. The rooting depths depend on plant physiology, type of soil and water availability. Generally, vegetables (beans, tomatoes, potatoes, parsnip, carrots, leek, broccoli, etc.) are shallow rooted, about 50–60 cm; fruit trees and some other plants have medium rooting depths, 70–120 cm and other crops such as barley, wheat, oats, and maize may have deeper roots. Furthermore, rooting depths vary according to the age of the plants. The exact soil depth is difficult to define accurately due to its high variability across the landscape. The effective soil depth can be reduced by the presence of bedrock or impermeable layers. Use the Symbology layer file 'SOIL_SISSoilDepth.lyr' based on Valued Field 'Depth'. SIS SOIL TEXTURE:Soil texture is an important soil characteristic that influences processes such as water infiltration rates, rootability, gas exchanges, leaching, chemical activity, susceptibility to erosion and water holding capacity. The soil textural class is determined by the percentage of sand, silt, and clay. Soil texture also influences how much water is available to the plant; clay soils have a greater water holding capacity than sandy soils. Use the Symbology layer file 'SOIL_SISSoilTexture.lyr' based on Value Field 'Texture'. SIS SOIL SOC:In the previous national soil survey conducted by An Foras Taluntais, 14 counties were described in detail with soil profile descriptions provided for the representative soil series found within a county. Soil samples were taken at each soil horizon to a depth of 1 meter and analyses performed for a range of measurements, including soil organic carbon, texture, cation exchange capacity, pH; however in most cases no bulk density measurements were taken. This meant that while soil organic carbon concentrations were available this could not be related to a stock for a given soil series. In 2012/2013, 246 profile pits were sampled and analysed as part of the Irish Soil Information System project to fill in gaps in the description of representative profile data for Ireland. Use the Symbology layer file 'SOIL_SISSoilSOC.lyr' based on Value Field 'SOC'.

This record represents near real time River Ecology Monitoring Results. National surveys of Irish rivers have taken place on a continuous basis since 1971, when 2,900 km of river channel was surveyed. The National Rivers Monitoring Programme was replaced by the Water Framework Monitoring Programme from 22 December 2006. As part of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) Monitoring Programme approximately one third of our major rivers and their more important tributaries are surveyed and assessed each year by EPA ecologists. A complete survey cycle is completed every three years. The sites are scored on a five point system developed by the EPA called the Biological Q rating system.For more information on this dataset please go to https://gis.epa.ie/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/a0179512-dca7-450d-8391-374c4bf00375

The dataset of ZOCs was primarily generated in relation to the national groundwater quality monitoring programme. It was done for each of the approximately 200 monitoring points in that programme at the time. In addition, ZOCs were produced for drinking water sources (supplied by a groundwater or spring source) above a certain size and those at the time on the Remedial Action List (RAL). So, in total, there are approximately 350 sites that have been completed. The accompanying pdf outputs (mainly maps plus a few data figures) are on the EPA website, along with the shapefile. The work ran in parallel with a source protection zone (SPZ) delineation project (a more intensive piece of work with more robust outputs), which were done for a subset of the above ZOCs; approximately 45. The Geological Survey Ireland (GSI) host the national repository for SPZs and the reports and GIS are available on their website (alongside the ones they have created). These are not shown on the EPA website.

The indicative soils map classifies the soils of Ireland on a categorically simplified but cartographically detailed basis into 25 classes, using an expert rule based methodology. Produced by Teagasc (Kinsealy), EPA and GSI.

A compliant implementation of WMS plus most of the SLD extension (dynamic styling). Can also generate PDF, SVG, KML, GeoRSS

Bulk density (BD) reflects the soil?s ability to function for structural support, water and solute movement, and soil aeration and also allows concentration data of elements to be presented on a mass and/or volume basis. It is used to express soil physical, chemical and biological measurements on a volumetric basis for assessment of soil ecosystem services and thus comparisons between management systems.

Public Supply Source Protection Areas Ireland (ROI) ITM. Published by Geological Survey Ireland. Available under the license Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC-BY-4.0).Public Water Supplies (PWSs) are managed by Irish Water, Ireland's national water utility, since 2013. Before this, public water supplies were managed by Local Authorities. More than 70% of public supplies take groundwater from boreholes, springs and infiltration galleries. This accounts for about 23% by volume (Irish Water, 2018).

Source Protection Areas (SPAs) are areas outlined around groundwater abstraction points (e.g. borehole or spring) which provide drinking water. The aim of the SPAs is to protect groundwater by placing tighter controls on activities within all or part of the zone of contribution (ZOC) of the source. The Zone of Contribution (ZOC) is the land area that contributes water to the well or spring.

Two Source Protection Areas (SPAs) are outlined. The Inner Protection Area (SI) aims to protect against the effects of human activities that might have an immediate effect on the source and, in particular, against microbial pollution. The Outer Protection Area (SO) covers the rest of the zone of contribution (ZOC) to the groundwater abstraction point.

Not all groundwater-fed public supply sources have SPAs outlined around them. Most studies (more than 125) have been carried out by the Geological Survey Ireland as part of County Groundwater Protection Schemes. The Environmental Protection Agency carried out more than 40 studies as part of the national groundwater monitoring network characterisation. Further studies have been carried out by consultancies for Local Authorities and Irish Water.

Different methods are used to map the entire Zone of Contribution to a spring, borehole or well, resulting in different degrees of confidence associated with the boundaries of the delineated area. To be able to specify the Inner Protection Zone within the entire Zone of Contribution, knowledge or estimates of groundwater travel time within the aquifer are needed (e.g. from site-specific hydrogeological parameters or tracer tests).

Source Protection Areas have been mapped by the GSI and EPA following the ‘GSI method’ (e.g., GSI/EPA/IGI Source Protection Zonation course, 2009; Kelly, 2010; DELG/EPA/GSI, 1999). These SPAs were mapped as part of County Groundwater Protection Schemes or as part of the WFD Groundwater Monitoring network characterisation. Other SPAs have been mapped by consultants for Local Authorities/Irish Water. They have not been peer-reviewed by the GSI.

The Zone of Contribution and the Source Protection Area account for the ‘horizontal’ movement of groundwater. Source Protection Zones are obtained by integrating the Source Protection Areas with the groundwater vulnerability categories. The Source Protection Zone includes the complete pathway, both vertical and horizontal, for re-charge and any entrained contaminants to the abstraction point.

Whereas the aim of delineating ZOCs is to define approximate areas that contribute water to an abstraction point, the aim of SPZs is to geo-scientifically characterise the pathway and receptor elements of risk to groundwater within the ZOC of a given source (Kelly, 2010). EPA prepared an advice note on “Source Protection and Catchment Management to protect Groundwater Supplies” that outlines the key measures and policies in place in Ireland (EPA, 2011).

This map shows the location of SPA's which have been mapped around public supplies of groundwater in Ireland.

This map is to the scale 1:20,000. This means it should be viewed at that scale. When printed at that scale 1cm on the map relates to a distance of 200m.

It is a vector dataset. Vector data portray the world using points, lines, and polygons (areas).

The data is shown as polygons. Each polygon holds information on Source Protection Area such as name, code, id, data source, county, reviewed by GSI and links to online reports....

EU Water Framework Directive Transitional Waterbodies boundaries for Ireland. Transitional waters connect fresh waters such as rivers and marine waters, for example estuaries. The goal of The Water Framework Directive is to achieve a good status for all of Europe's surface waters and groundwater by 2015.For more information on this dataset please go to https://gis.epa.ie/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/5b3cd1d5-b2d7-4210-a821-0f6231129d58

Data was downloaded from EPA website on the 08/2/2024 and projected to ITM.Download Data: https://gis.epa.ie/GetData/DownloadWater / Water Framework Directive - General Information- Catchments Data Package - June 2022WFD Groundwater WaterbodiesThe EU Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) (WFD) establishes a framework for the protection, improvement and management of surface water and groundwater.All Groundwater Waterbodies (GWB) are represented as polygons. They are validated by scientists in the Geological Survey Ireland and the EPA Scientists as meeting the criteria for a WFD GWB.https://gis.epa.ie/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/668c7c99-364f-4e18-8b19-0247480c947dWater_HydrometricAreasIreland’s hydrometric areas, used as management units for hydrological areas (EPA, OPW, ESBI, Local Authorities etc). They are made up of amalgamations of large river basins.https://gis.epa.ie/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search?node=srv#/metadata/e186c6fa-0bc1-461e-84da-1e8b23ef1649Water_SubCatchmentsSubdivisions of the River basin (1958 catchments)http://gis.epa.ie/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search?node=srv#/metadata/4a0e2ba5-8b86-4400-be79-81389b7600e4WFD_CatchmentsCatchments for use in River Basin Management planning, 2015 – 2021http://gis.epa.ie/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search?node=srv#/metadata/78b8def6-16fd-4934-bc2a-1d52380a2b34

This is a polygon dataset of the strategic noise mapping of roads, which were identified as those roads exceeding the flow threshold of 3 million passages per year, in the form of noise contours for the Lden (day, evening, night) period for Dublin and Cork agglomerations and the major roads outside of the agglomerations. The dB value represents the average decibel value during the Lden time.

Any direct comparison of the Round 3 versus Round 2 results should be carefully considered, as changes to the model input datasets used between these rounds may be significant. This may especially apply to the terrain model used, while there may be improved building height data, & improved traffic flow data with fewer assumed flows. There may also be some revisions to the actual road network modelled in Round 3.

The noise maps are the product of assimilating a collection of digital datasets, and over the last 10 years there has been significant improvements to the quality of the digital datasets describing the natural and built environment in Ireland. This has led to the strategic noise models giving much more reliable noise results with much less tendency to over predict the impact.

UPDATE (February 2019): The Regional roads in 26 Local Authorities (LAs) outside of Dublin, and Cork have now been amended by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). The original road maps had included some significant stretches of roads (~20%) that were below the 3 million vehicles movements/annum reporting threshold. These road sections have now been removed and revised Regional road maps have been released by TII.

This TII review process has resulted in an update of the National road map that is reported to the EEA. The EPA has also updated our website to reflect these changes, and we will also look to provide relevant links to the Final LA Noise Action Plans (when completed): http://www.epa.ie/monitoringassessment/noisemapping/