No. 86/1945:

RIVER ERNE HYDRO-ELECTRIC SCHEME APPROVAL ORDER, 1945.

RIVER ERNE HYDRO-ELECTRIC SCHEME APPROVAL ORDER, 1945.

WHEREAS, under subsection (1) of section 4 of the Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Act, 1945 (No. 12 of 1945), the Electricity Supply Board has submitted to the Minister for Industry and Commerce a scheme for the generation of electricity by means of hydraulic power derived from the waters of the River Erne :

AND WHEREAS the Minister has considered the said Scheme and has consulted with the Minister for Agriculture as to the steps to be taken by the said Board for the protection of fisheries :

NOW, I, SEÁN F. LEMASS, Minister for Industry and Commerce, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by the Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Act, 1945 (No. 12 of 1945), hereby order as follows :

1. This Order may be cited as the River Erne Hydro-Electric Scheme Approval Order, 1945.

2. In this Order—

the expression " the Act " means the Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Act, 1945 (No. 12 of 1945) ;

the expression " the Board " means the Electricity Supply Board ;

the expression " the scheduled Scheme " means the scheme set out in the Schedule hereto.

3. The scheduled Scheme is hereby approved.

4. The stations of the Garda Siochana at Ballyshannon and Donegal, both in the County of Donegal, are hereby prescribed as the places at which (in addition to the head office of the Board in the City of Dublin) the maps, plans and books of reference in relation to the scheduled Scheme shall, in pursuance of subsection (4) of section 9 of the act, be deposited by the Board.

5. The Donegal Democrat and the Donegal Vindicator are hereby prescribed as the newspapers in which (in addition to two or more daily newspapers circulating in the City of Dublin) public notice by advertisement of the deposit of the maps, plans and books of reference in relation to the scheduled Scheme shall, in pursuance of subsection (5) of section 9 of the act, be given by the Board.

SCHEDULE.

Title of the Scheme.

1. The Scheme may be cited as " River Erne Hydro-Electric Scheme," 1945.

Nature and Location of the Scheme.

2. The Scheme contemplates a partial development of the water power resources of the River Erne by the creating of two reservoirs and construction of two power stations to utilise the fall on that portion of the River Erne between Belleek and the Tidal Estuary at Ballyshannon.

The attached Plan shows the location of the works necessary for this development, each of the works being separately numbered on the plan.

The partial development is capable of extension to a full development without interference with the operation of the partial development.

The lower station (work No. 3) will have a maximum head water level of 112 feet above Ordnance datum, or thereby, and tail water level at the mouth of the tail race equals sea level.

The upper station (work No. 13) will have a head water level not exceeding 143 feet or thereby, above Ordnance datum and tail water equal to the head water on the lower station.

The works to be constructed and reservoirs to be created for the Scheme are situated in Co. Donegal in the townlands of Townparks, Carrickboy, Tully, Ballyhanna, Raheen, Killeen, Cherrymount, Templenew, Camlin, Edenagor, Cloghore, Knader, Mullans, Corlea, and are as follows :

Work No. 1—

A dam including a fish pass across the River Erne at Cathaleen's Falls 3,400 feet or thereby in an easterly direction from the centre of the road bridge over the River Erne in the town of Ballyshannon and creating a reservoir extending from this dam to a dam at Cliff in the townland of Corlea.

Work No. 2—

A protection embankment on the south bank of the river extending in an easterly direction from Raheen Fort in the townland of Raheen, for a distance of 3,300 feet or thereby and terminating in the townland of Cherrymount.

Work No. 3—

A generating station near the downstream toe of the dam at Cathaleen's Falls and including an access road to the station.

Work No. 4—

A tail race in the bed of the River Erne extending from the site of the Power Station at Cathaleen's Falls to the tidal estuary immediately below the falls of Assaroe and 4,500 feet or thereby in length : disposal of material excavated from the bed of the river to form the tail race partly on the sea shore above and below high water mark in the bay due north of Inish Samer Island and partly on the bed of the River Erne between Cathaleen's Falls and the Falls of Assaroe.

Diversion of the flow of the Erne into this tail race and including the diversion of sewage and water supply pipes, telephone, telegraph, and power supply lines interfered with by the works.

Work No. 5—

The removal of the existing road bridge over the River Erne in the town of Ballyshannon and the construction of a new bridge and approaches.

Work No. 6—

The diversion of the public road on the north bank of the River Erne from the town of Ballyshannon to the town of Belleek, between a point 4,700 feet or thereby measured in an easterly direction from Ballyshannon Bridge and a point 2,000 feet or thereby measured in a westerly direction from Corlea Bridge in the townland of Corlea.

Work No. 7—

The diversion of the public road on the north bank of the River Erne from the town of Ballyshannon to the town of Belleek between a point 300 feet or thereby measured in a north-westerly direction to a point 750 feet or thereby measured in a south-easterly direction from the centre of Corlea Bridge in the townland of Corlea.

Work No. 8—

The diversion of the public road on the south bank of the River Erne from the town of Ballyshannon to the town of Belleek between a point 3,400 feet or thereby and a point 8,700 feet or thereby, each measured in an easterly direction from the centre of Ballyshannon Road Bridge. Portion of the embankment carrying the road diversion acts as a dam to the reservoir described in Work No. 1.

Work No. 9—

A pumping station in the vicinity of the crossing of the stream and public road in the townland of Cherrymount.

Work No. 10—

The diversion of the flow from Lough Bracken in the townland of Tully parallel to the Gt. Northern Rly. Branch Line to Bundoran from a point due north of Lough Bracken to Ballyshannon Station and hence to the stream flowing into the River Erne at Tom Pye's Bridge, Ballyshannon.

Work No. 11—

Works which the Scheme may give rise to by interference with the existing underground discharges from Lough Knader in the townland of Knader.

Work No. 12—

A dam including a fish pass across the River Erne at Cliff in the townland of Corlea and situated on the River 2,500 feet or thereby in a north-westerly direction from the centre of the Great Northern Railway Bridge across the Erne at the town of Belleek and creating a reservoir extending along the River Erne from Cliff to Belleek.

Work No. 13—

A generating station at the downstream toe of the dam at Cliff and including an access road to the station.

Work No. 14—

The protection of the embankment at the approach to the Great Northern Railway Bridge over the River Erne at the town of Belleek.

Work No. 15—

Such other works as may be found necessary in lieu of compensation or for the complete and satisfactory operation of the scheme.

Lands.

3. The attached plan shows coloured the lands and houses thereon which will be flooded by the two reservoirs and lands which will be required to accommodate the works described heretofore.

The lands are situated in the townlands set out heretofore and approximate to 960 acres including the bed of the River Erne.

Capacity of Stations.

4. The approximate capacity of the generating plant to be installed at the generating stations is 50,000 kilowatts.

Cost of Works.

5. The cost of the works is estimated at £3,115,500, including compensation for lands, fisheries, etc., but excluding the cost of transmission lines from the generating stations to points of demand.

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 27th day of April, 1945.

(Signed) SEÁN F. LEMASS,

Minister for Industry and Commerce.

RIVER ERNE HYDRO-ELECTRIC SCHEME