In this section, you will learn: zzthat people use rivers on a daily basis and in a variety of ways zzthat these human interactions with rivers can be both beneficial and harmful.
Settlement Pollution
Hydroelectric power (HEP)
Surface run-off
Some of the ways people interact with rivers include: ) Transport ) Tourism ) Fishing
) Settlement ) Transport
Since the earliest settlers came to Ireland, rivers have been used to transport people and goods. Waterford is an example of a city with a port function which we will examine in more detail in Chapter 12. The River Rhine is an important transport route in Europe.
: Figure 9.22 A barge transporting goods on the River Rhine
) Tourism : Figure 9.23 An angler fishing for salmon ) Fishing
Irish rivers are popular with anglers and many, such as the River Moy in Co. Mayo, are famous for salmon fishing. Many tourists visit Ireland for this purpose. In order to ensure that freshwater fishing is sustainable, anglers must have a fishing licence and follow rules set out by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI). They set down what tackle you can use and when you are allowed to fish for certain species. We looked at responsible fishing in Ireland in Chapter 4.
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Tourists use rivers for cruising and fishing. Towns such as Carrick-on-Shannon and Athlone along the River Shannon are well- known tourist destinations in Ireland. We will learn more about rivers and tourism on page 150.
) Pollution
) Hydroelectric power (HEP) ) Domestic water supply ) Flooding
