Householders in Fermanagh can now plan for a flooding risk with new maps produced by DARD.

The new series of flood maps for businesses and homeowners in Fermanagh launched by the Rivers Minister, Michelle O’Neill, show detailed flood hazard and flood risk information for areas within and around Enniskillen, as well as Ballinamallard, Lisbellaw and Maguiresbridge.

They show the depth and speed of flow of flood water which may happen during weather events which occur often, rarely and in extreme weather situations.

The Minister explained: “The new flood maps, developed by Rivers Agency, ensure that residents and businesses have access to the most up to date information on locations likely to flood and the possible impact. They are therefore an important visual tool in communicating the areas at risk and I encourage everyone to view them.

“If you find that you live or work in an at risk area, you should not ignore this information, but plan for it, as recent events have shown the value of being flood aware.

“The information from these maps will also inform the work to produce Flood Risk Management Plans for areas at significant risk.

“These will be published documents which will set out the flood alleviation plans of Government, the help local councils and other organisations can offer and, most importantly, the role of communities and individuals.” The new maps update the Strategic Flood Map by providing detailed information for the majority of our population centres.

Maps for a total of 69 areas have been produced using the best available flood modelling techniques, tools and data and therefore this new version of the maps can be used to identify the flood risk to communities, individual properties and specific locations.

She concluded: “I think it is very reassuring that these more detailed and refined maps which have been produced by Rivers Agency, will greatly enhance our understanding of the real threat we face from flooding. By using this information and working together we can hopefully minimise the worst impacts of flooding.” The flood maps can be viewed using the link: http://www.dardni.gov.uk/rivers.

The Rivers Agency carried out a review of the Lough Erne operating regime following the serious 2009 floods in Fermanagh which were due to what they described as “unprecedented levels of rainfall and as a result widespread flooding which eclipsed all previously known records.” As a result, they considered four alternative options for improvements to the management or the physical make-up of the Erne System, including the possibility of an earlier reduction of water levels in the Autumn. None were found to lead to major reductions in the levels, frequency or duration of floods.

The Flooding Taskforce report concluded that “...it would not be economically or environmentally feasible to increase the capacity of the system to a level where flooding from extreme events, such as the November 2009 flooding, could be prevented. Neither would it be feasible to significantly reduce existing water levels, given the detrimental impact this would have on the natural environment and on water based tourism.” It further stated: “The capacity of the channels, namely the inter lough channel and the Belleek Channel, is the major restricting factor in the discharge of water from the Erne System.” The findings of the present review were consistent with those of the Taskforce report.

A spokesman added: “Despite the strongly-held convictions of many residents of Fermanagh that the main contributory factor to the 2009 flooding was the way in which the Erne system was managed, this review has found that none of the suggested changes in management leads to any significant reduction of peak levels in most floods.