Owenmore Natural Flood Management Project

The Sligo Bay Catchment Rivers Trust is developing a Natural Flood Management (NFM) project within the Owenmore Catchment to explore how nature-based solutions can help reduce flood risk while delivering wider environmental benefits. Working with local communities, landowners and stakeholders, the project will identify areas affected by seasonal flooding and investigate opportunities to slow the flow of water, reconnect rivers with their floodplains and restore natural river processes.

By using natural approaches rather than traditional engineering solutions, the project aims to improve climate resilience, enhance biodiversity, protect water quality and support healthier rivers and habitats throughout the Owenmore Catchment. The project is currently at the feasibility and scoping stage, helping to identify the most effective measures for future implementation.

Surface Water Flooding and River Barriers

The map below shows areas at risk of surface water flooding within a key area of the Owenmore Catchment and highlights known river barriers that may influence water flow. Together, these datasets help identify locations where natural flood management measures could reduce flood risk and improve catchment resilience.

Historic flooding has affected communities, farmland, infrastructure and wildlife throughout parts of the catchment. It is hoped that this feasibility study will provide a clear roadmap for future flood mitigation works, helping to reduce flood risk, ease downstream flooding and create a more resilient catchment for both people and nature in the years ahead.

The image below shows an example of historic flooding near Ballinacarrow within the Owenmore Catchment. As part of this project, we aim to work closely with local landowners and communities to identify areas of land that could be used to store and slow floodwaters during periods of heavy rainfall. By working with natural processes and implementing nature-based solutions, we hope to reduce the impact of flooding throughout the catchment, benefiting both landowners affected by flood events and the downstream communities, homes and infrastructure that are vulnerable to increased flood risk.

This page will be updated as the Owenmore Natural Flood Management Feasibility Study progresses and new findings emerge. As we continue to work with local communities, landowners and stakeholders, we will share project updates, survey results, mapping outputs and opportunities for involvement. We hope this study will provide the foundation for future flood mitigation works that deliver lasting benefits for people, wildlife and the wider catchment, helping to build a more resilient Owenmore River system for generations to come.