KILDARE: Expert is to investigate weed growth in Naas lakes
An ecologist is to be asked to investigate substantial weed growth in the Naas lakes area, near the hospital.
This follows a call from Cllr Anne Breen about the “current unacceptable situation with regard to weeds covering the surface of all the lakes.”
Cllr Anne Breen added that this also happened last year “making it impossible for the waterfowl to use the water as intended.”
She added:
Kildare County Council intends to engage tube expert and the findings of a subsequent report will be issued to councillors.
KCC official Simon Wallace said speculation about the problem is not helpful.
However, Cllr Breen claimed that swans, ducks and wild fowl cannot enter the lake. She said the problem was not identified last year and so “no corrective action was taken.”
Cllr Breen also said that the problem manifested itself in April.
She criticised the council saying “there are no plans to correct the problem, in fact at this stage we do not even know the cause of the problem. There is no excuse from the council for this current state of affairs.”
She added: “I tabled a motion this time last year to stop this happening again. There are no plans to correct the problem, in fact at this stage we do not even know the cause of the problem. There is no excuse from the council for this current state of affairs, I want them to put some urgency into this.”
Another councillor, Seamie Moore, said that the reason for the weed growth is because of the amount of silt which is entering the waterway and is now nearing the surface of the lakes in places.
He said that what is needed is a silt trap which would stop the material going in and which could be serviced.
He said the lakes were last cleaned about ten years ago.
“We need to stop the silt before it gets in.”
Cllr Moore also said that the weeds are producing material which is good for the will birds in terms of feeding material.
But he also said the lakes look like “a filthy pond.”
Cllr Bill Clear said that lakes will look completely different in the longer term if we continue to experience drier summers.