Lough Neagh Drained Below Minimum Levels Due to Faulty Water Sensors

15th February 2022

File image of boats at Curran Point on Lough Neagh Credit: Kenneth Allen/Geograph

Fishing crews and sand barges on Lough Neagh were stranded for a number of days recently after faulty sensors caused water levels to drop below the statutory minimum, as BelfastLive reports.

Northern Ireland’s Department for Infrastructure blamed a software update “glitch” for two of the lough’s four measuring stations giving false readings that prompted the sluice gates at Toome to open in the last week of January.

As a result, fishermen in the region lost a week of work as levels fell to 100mm below the minimum, a situation described as “unprecedented”.

“Some of them couldn’t get out to fish and some, when they had been out, had a load on their boats and couldn’t get back into the quay,” said Patsy McGlone, SDLP MLA for Mid Ulster.

Meanwhile, the local fishermen’s cooperative claims the issue was exacerbated by problems getting quays dredged over the last number of years.

BelfastLive has more on the story HERE.

Published in Northern Ireland Waters

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Lough Neagh

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MacDara Conroy

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MacDara Conroy is a contributor covering all things on the water, from boating and wildlife to science and business

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