Trees and water courses have evolved together over thousands of years to their mutual benefit.  As humans, we benefit from trees near water courses because they hold the rainwater and have a huge role to play in the slowing down of flood waters.  Protection forests are big in some European countries says Michael Somers, Forestry Advisor with Teagasc Kilkenny - trees could be our flood protectors, especially if we get the wet weather due with climate change.  

But we must be careful when harvesting trees near water courses.  Sediment from the harvesting process can enter rivers and streams and can cause terrible damage to the plants and animals living there.  Eibhlín Vaughan is from Crosspatrick in Co Kilkenny, and she is doing her PhD in Sediment and Water and Trees as part of the Hydrosed project at UCD.  The results of her work will ensure that Ireland can achieve 18% forestry cover without impinging on our obligations as part of the Water Framework Directive.

Nowadays buffer zones mean that trees can't be planted up to the banks of rivers and streams.  However, if a farmer was to plant outside a buffer zone that was near a water course, then Michael Somers recommends a Native Woodland managed on a continuous cover management system.  Hear all about this in the 7th programme in Trees: From Seed to Sawdust - Trees and Water