Delivering the plan
There are a wide range of people and
organisations in the North Solway area who already have a
successful track record in managing and delivering projects that
improve the water environment. We now need to build on this
expertise, history of co-operation and joint working to help
deliver the aims of this plan.
The actions required to deliver this plan vary
considerably in scale, from installing a fish-pass to upgrading
sewage treatment works. The rate and quality of the improvements is
best achieved if they are delivered at a catchment scale, which is
why this plan focuses on catchments. The section below shows the
range and scope of some of these projects. A more detailed
breakdown of actions and work programme for the North Solway
advisory group will be available on the website. For more
information on actions on an individual water body, please consult
the interactive map online.
There is still work to be done. We welcome the
opportunity to learn about your projects and potentially develop
projects together that help achieve the aims of this plan.
Currently SEPA has a restoration fund
that might assist project development.
The actions listed here are aimed at
maintaining and improving the water environment, but they may have
other potential benefits, such as improving the image of the region
and increasing tourism. They may also help to ensure that the water
environment is able to adapt to future climate change. The cyclical
nature of river basin planning allows us to take into account any
new or improved evidence as to the impact of climate change,
providing opportunities to review the actions.
Water quality: diffuse pollution from
farming
Actions include:
- national initiatives to raise awareness and
understanding of General Binding Rules;
- priority catchment focusing effort on
catchments where the diffuse pollution may cause a risk to human
health;
- uptake of Scotland Rural Development
Programme incentives.
This cycle (to 2015), as part of the priority
catchment work, SEPA will focus on vulnerable water bodies within
the Galloway and Stewartry coastal catchments. These water bodies,
along with the potential targets for future cycles, are shown in
Map 8.
Map 8: River
catchments prioritised for action to reduce diffuse pollution from
rural sources (click for larger image)
Alteration to beds, banks and
shores
Actions include:
- Forestry Commission forest design plans will
promote changes to forest structure to allow for better, more
natural bank vegetation;
- private forestry design plans;
- uptake of SRDP incentives to fence off water
courses.
Barriers to fish migration
Actions include:
- a national project to identify barriers;
- fitting fish passes to ease fish access past
barriers, and removing of obstructions.
Acidification
Actions include:
- a forestry design plan to address acidified
water bodies;
- improving compliance with the Forest and
Water Guidelines and producing supplementary advice on risk
areas;
- reduce forest cover in sensitive
catchments.
Invasive non-native
species
Actions include:
- controlling riparian invasive non-native
plant species across all main river catchments in Dumfries and
Galloway;
- producing biosecurity plans for river
catchments in Dumfries and Galloway;
- raising awareness.
Planned improvement maps
Map 9 shows the planned improvements in the
surface water catchments. Map 10 shows the planned improvement in
groundwater.
Map 9: The
planned improvement in surface waters by 2015 (click for larger
image)
Map 10: The
planned improvement in groundwater by 2015 (click for larger
image)