Lanesborough low water levels

[@frankcarty]

The geese are one of the main causes of the weed growth at lanesborough. They produced a huge amount of droppings (the banks were covered in it), which contains very high levels of nitrogen. Plants need nitrogen to grow, the more nitrogen available, the quicker and taller they grow. For this reason, farmers are limited to how much they can spread, and what time if year they can spread, to stop an excess of nitrogen entering the rivers. The geese are the cause if the weed growth, not the levels.

[@Lanesboroughangling]

The Geese were only a part (albeit a big part) of the problem. A guy from the Water frame directive was present last year when the weed started to thrive. He suggested to me that the Geese were POSSIBLY the reason. The lowering of levels at Athlone, plus the hot summer have all contributed to the accelerated weed growth assisted by photosynthesis. It could easily be suggested, that if the Geese were still present, the weed would not be as prevalent.

[@OliverMaguire]

If you've been knocking around Lanesborough as long as I have, you would have noticed the weed started to thrive along this stretch many years ago and not just last year. I "suggest" that blaming the poor geese as "possibly" a big cause of what has happen along this stretch many times over the past 30 years as nonsense. As you have correctly pointed out, the said geese, if still present, would have a role to play in preventing the proliferation of weed etc,along this stretch of our river.

[@OliverMaguire]

I've heard it all now. Blaming the poor geese for the state of the water. I wonder what cause the same water problems for years, long before the geese/ducks were ever introduced?

[@OliverMaguire]

I'm aware of the effects nitrogen has on plants etc. However, to blame the geese is stretching the imagination a little too far. The geese may have contributed to nitrogen levels, but this would be insignificant considering the volume of water, not to mention its speed, which has increase considerably since the building of the walkway along this section. Why dose this not occur further along the shoreline where the same water settles. Why has it been happening for years, when there was no geese?