DOLMANT - The development of lake management tools

Part of: Water quality research (WQR) programme

Area of Expertise:

DOLMANT (2011-14) was a cross border project to develop lake management tools to assist in creating programmes of measures to meet EU legislation. It was funded through the European Union’s European Regional Development Programme, INTERREG IVa. AFBI was the lead partner with five project partners involved. Project funding was £1.2 million.

Aims of DOLMANT project

DOLMANT aimed to develop lake management tools that integrate the biological, hydromorphological and physiochemical properties of lakes with lake and lake catchment variables in cross border catchments, to improve and maintain the ecological status of lakes.

Ecological relationships and legislation

The achievement of good ecological status in lakes is vital for compliance with the Water Framework Directive. EU member states are obliged to implement programmes of measures to improve or stabilise the ecological status of lakes. To produce an effective programme it is vital to understand the pressures on lake ecology.

This project defines ecological relationships in large Irish lakes – Lough Neagh and Lough Erne (IRB) – and smaller cross border lakes focusing on the relationship of the biological quality elements with external pressures e.g. eutrophication and climate change.

Project lakes

Data collected through the project from these lakes will be included in the production of the models. 

Modelling approach

The modelling tools will enable the development of targeted catchment management to conserve ecological status required for Water Framework Directive compliance. They will help predict changes in biological groups due to catchment changes and this will be beneficial to environment agencies in implementing the directive. 

Project staff

Staff from the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and University of Ulster Coleraine (UUC) worked on the DOLMANT project.

Publications and information

DOLMANT Report- Summary of findings and recommendations