Castledockrell

The Castledockrell catchment is situated between Enniscorthy and Bunclody in Co. Wexford. The stream that drains the catchment is a tributary of the Slaney River which drains much of the south-east region. It is 1,117ha in area and in a typical year 54% of the catchment area is used for tillage with 39% in grass and the balance in non-agricultural uses. The type of farming in the catchment is typical of the tillage/drystock mix that is found in much of the south-east and south of Ireland on well-drained soils.

 Spring barley production is the main tillage enterprise with some other cereals such as winter barley as well as some oil-seed rape and potatoes. Sheep production is traditional in the area and is still carried on by many farmers as well as beef production. The majority of the land in the catchment has free draining typical brown earth soils, belonging to the Ballylanders and Clonroche Soil Series. These soils which are underlain by slate and shale geology are ideal for spring barley growing. In the low lying areas near the stream there are some poorly-drained groundwater gleys soils most of which are artificially drained.

 Based on the type of soil and subsoil in this catchment nitrogen is considered to be the main nutrient at risk of loss to water and the main pathway for loss is considered to be leaching through the soil to the groundwater.

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