Erne 'icebergs' smash away navigation markers

Chris Donegan • Published 4 Feb 2010 14:49 0 Comments

Share this

Still standing but many of the other navigation markers on Lough Erne have been sunk by 'icebergs' and are now a hazard to boats.

It was an iceberg that sank the Titanic and icebergs that could spell disaster for boats on Lough Erne.

The ice has melted but left a potentially lethal legacy in the minefield of rocks and shallows that now lie unmarked just beneath the surface.

During the Arctic weather over Christmas and the New Year the Erne froze. All but the widest stretches of the Lower Lough, with its miles of open water, were covered in ice.

In the narrows around Enniskillen and for 10 miles downstream, almost as far as Castle Archdale on the east shore and Tully Castle on the west shore, the lake was locked in ice. In places the sustained frost produced layers up to five inches thick and as the thaw set in huge sheets up to 30 metres square floated away on the current.

These "icebergs" smashed down many of the navigation markers that warn of rocks and dangerous shallows. These are substantial structures consisting of steel girders or poles embedded in concrete and topped with the distinctive semi-circular "shovel", painted red for danger on the shallow side and white on the side where it is safe to pass.

Immediately downstream of Enniskillen the markers in Devenish Bay and at Trasna Island were almost entirely flattened or swept away by the icebergs. At Rossigh Bay the forest of markers warning of the treacherous rocks at the point have also been felled.

A spokesman for Waterways Ireland, which is responsible for maintaining the navigation markers on the Erne, confirmed that: "Both Upper and Lower Lough Erne navigation markers have been damaged by the high water levels and the ice flows."

There is now nothing to warn holidaymakers in hire cruisers or people in privately owned pleasure boats of the danger. Local anglers and yachtsmen may know where the shallows and rocks lie but without the markers even the most experienced among them could get into difficulties.

Ironically the danger has been compounded by the fact that some markers have not been sunk by the icebergs but knocked over and left semi-submerged. One near the mouth of Camagh Bay lies just below the water and could smash through the hull of any boat that runs into it.

On January 21, Waterways Ireland, issued a warning that "the recent extreme weather conditions which resulted in both flooding and icing, has had a detrimental affect on the Lough Erne marker posts throughout the system, therefore extreme care should be taken when navigating".

It had earlier posted notices closing jetties swamped by the early winter floods.

Waterways Ireland has a team of workmen based on the Erne and routinely carries out maintenance to the navigation markers each spring in preparation for the boating season.

The spokesman stated: "A survey of the navigation markers is on-going at present. It is expected that repair works will be completed around St. Patrick's Day, based on no further extreme weather impacting on progress."

Anyone planning to go out on the lake before then can obtain further information from the Lough Erne Warden on (028) 66323004.

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 04 Feb 10

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our News archives.