Aquatic restoration

The water environment in Scotland is not only an intrinsic part of our landscape but also a vital asset; it fuels industry, powers our houses and attracts tourists. However over the years it has been affected by various physical pressures, with the result that many rivers, lochs, wetlands and coastlines are now a shadow of what they once were.

The water environment restoration fund is your opportunity to secure funding and support to improve the rivers, streams, lochs, and coast for you and future generations.

Water environment restoration fund

A Restoration Assessment Group, led by SEPA, has been established to direct and manage the fund. The group comprises SEPA representatives from various functions and external representatives from Scottish Natural Heritage, Forestry Commission and the Scottish Government.

The aim of the fund is to deliver physical improvements to river, loch, estuarine and coastal water bodies and wetlands. We intend doing this through supporting partners’ projects and by SEPA leading on strategic projects.

As well as the fund, SEPA has powers to restore waterbodies and to control activities in and around water bodies. More information on Controlled Activity Regulations (CAR) can be found here: www.sepa.org.uk/water/regulations.aspx

Click here now for an application form and for more guidance on applying.

Projects SEPA will fund

It is important that every project must aim to deliver improvements to wetlands, rivers, lochs, estuaries or coasts, thereby contributing towards achieving Water Framework Directive (WFD) objectives as set out in the river basin management plans.

Projects seeking funding should aim to improve the environmental status or condition of a waterbody by tackling the physical pressures on that system. Information on the status, physical pressures and objectives for a water body can be viewed through SEPA's interactive map or in the river basin management plans: www.sepa.org.uk/water/river_basin_planning.aspx 

Where possible, projects should also deliver a wider range of environmental, social and economic benefits. Examples of partnership projects that could be considered for funding are:

  • restoring natural processes in rivers or lochs;
  • engineering degraded rivers to restore natural profiles, for example by recreating meanders;
  • removal or modification of man-made barriers to improve fish passage and sediment transport;
  • restoration of flood plains, coastal intertidal zones and wetlands;
  • scoping studies to assess costed options for physical restoration works;
  • control of non native invasive bank side and instream plant species.

Funding principles

Currently SEPA’s restoration fund will award funds to projects alongside other grant awarding bodies. We will fund alongside:

There will be instances however when it may be more applicable for a project to be only funded by one of these grant awarding bodies. if you have any queries please contact the restoration specialist to discuss.

Useful Links

Contact us

By post:

Restoration Specialist,
SEPA,
Leading Light Building,
142 Sinclair Road,
Torry,
ABERDEEN
AB11 9PR

By e-mail: restoration.proposals@sepa.org.uk