Blue Dot awareness

Protecting Ireland’s Best Waters for the Future

What Are Blue Dot Areas?

Blue Dot areas are Ireland’s highest quality rivers, lakes, and coastal waters — the cleanest and most ecologically valuable sites in the country. These special waters are so pure that they support a wide variety of aquatic life and provide pristine environments for recreation, nature, and heritage.

They are named “Blue Dots” because of how they are marked on water quality maps produced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and supported by the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO).

Watch: Mayo Blue Dots programme

🌟 Why Blue Dot Areas Matter to Sea Scouts

As Sea Scouts, we value nature, conservation, and the sustainable use of our waterways. Blue Dot waters are:

Home to sensitive species like freshwater pearl mussels, Atlantic salmon, and otters
Important for education, allowing us to study clean, undisturbed ecosystems
Vital for recreation, including kayaking, swimming, and camping
Indicators of environmental health — helping us measure how well we protect the planet

📍 Where Are Ireland’s Blue Dot Areas?

There are Blue Dot sites across Ireland — in rivers like the Owenriff in Galway, the Avoca in Wicklow, or high-quality lakes in Donegal and Kerry.

🗺️ Use LAWPRO’s Blue Dot Catchments Map to explore where the nearest Blue Dot areas are to your Scout Group.

🧭 Get Involved: What Sea Scouts Can Do

1. Learn & Share

Download our Blue Dot Scouting Pack (coming soon!) for interactive games, facts, and challenges
Invite a local LAWPRO Community Water Officer to give a talk or lead a field trip
Use our Leave No Trace principles to protect the areas you explore

2. Observe & Record

Take part in citizen science activities like the EPA’s Explore Your Shore! project
Monitor changes to local water quality during your Scout hikes or paddling adventures
Submit photos or notes from your Blue Dot field visits to help build awareness

3. Protect & Promote

Organise a local water clean-up
Write a blog post or social media update on what your group has done to care for a local Blue Dot
Work with LAWPRO and local authorities to support conservation actions

📚 Educational Resources

🔹 LAWPRO: Blue Dot Catchments