Waterways Ireland is a North-South Implementation Body responsible for the management, maintenance, development and restoration of the inland navigable waterways primarily for recreation purposes.
Waterways Ireland inform me that there are 115 boards in the weir at Meelick. The purpose of these is to ensure a sufficient depth of water to allow for navigation in times of low water flows. The level of water on this stretch of river is controlled by these weir boards in conjunction with 18 sluices at Marlborough, near Meelick, and 12 sluices at Meelick.
On 10 May 2002 all weir boards were put in place due to dropping water levels. On 18 May, due to rising water levels, all sluices at Meelick were opened. On 19 May, due to continuing rising water levels, all remaining sluices at Marlborough were opened and on 20 May 2002, as the water levels continued to rise, all 115 weir boards in the weir at Meelick were removed. Due to continued heavy rainfall, the water levels continued to rise thereafter. When all sluices are opened and all weir boards have been removed Waterways Ireland has no further control on water levels. The weir boards were not re-installed until 2 August 2002.
Water levels on the Shannon are controlled by a series of weirs with sluices; the levels in the channels are controlled by Waterways Ireland and in the lakes by the ESB. In 2000 Waterways Ireland and the ESB jointly commissioned consulting engineers, Kirk McClure Morton, to carry out a study of the current management of the water levels of the River Shannon. Having assessed a range of alternative management options, they concluded that none of these would result in a significant impact on water levels, over those operated by the ESB and Waterways Ireland.
