Priority catchments

The catchment approach is key to delivering the major improvements required in the water environment. It is in these catchments that pollutant sources and pathways will be identified, so that local awareness of the issues, advice on best practice and accurate targeting of measures can be delivered. More detailed information on priority catchments can be found at www.sepa.org.uk/dpprioritycatchments.

Identification of priority catchments

Catchments have been selected using a risk based approach where water bodies or protected areas are significantly failing standards due to rural diffuse pollution. High priority has been given to those areas affecting human health (ie drinking water protected areas and catchments draining to bathing waters). The type of protected areas in each diffuse pollution priority catchment for the first cycle is highlighted in table 1 below. The detailed selection methodology is described in the priority catchment update paper circulated to DPMAG on 9 September 2009[1]. DPMAG was consulted during the development of the selection process and over the specific catchments proposed for the three cycles. 

Fourteen diffuse pollution priority catchments have been identified in the first river basin management cycles for the Scotland and the Solway Tweed river basin districts, containing some of Scotland’s most important waters (for conservation, drinking water, bathing and fishing). Candidate priority catchments have been proposed for future cycles. Map 1 shows the diffuse pollution priority catchments for the first cycle and those proposed for the second and third cycles.

Overall there is a good distribution of failing water bodies (surface and groundwater) across the cycles with:

  • 133 in the first cycle;
  • 215 in the second cycle;
  • 96 in the third cycle.

Table 1 shows the number of water bodies that are currently failing in the first cycle priority catchments.

Projected improvements for priority catchments are: 

  • there will be a one class improvement in diffuse pollution and morphology (rural land use) impacts in the first cycle priority catchments following by an improvement to good status by 2021;
  • there will be a one class improvement in diffuse pollution and morphology (rural land use) impacts in the second cycle priority catchments followed by an improvement to good status by 2027;
  • all remaining catchments will improve to good status by 2027.

The prioritised rural diffuse pollution catchments are listed in Appendix 4, which also shows which catchments have been scheduled for each RBMP cycle.

Map 1: Priority catchments in Scotland 2009 –2015 and proposed catchments 2015–2027 (click for larger image)
 

 Table 1: Diffuse pollution priority catchments

Main catchment

Protected areas

No of baseline water bodies at less than good status where diffuse pollution is a pressure 2007 and 2008 classification
 

Drinking water

Bathing water

Habitat

Shellfish

  

River Tay

X

 

X

 

21

River Ugie

X

 

 

 

14

Eye Water

 

X

 

 

6

River Dee (Grampian)

 

X

X

 

12

River Doon

 

X

X

 

6

Buchan coastal

 

X

X

 

11

North Ayrshire coastal

 

X

 

X

4

River Ayr

 

X

 

 

7

River Deveron

X

 

 

 

26

River Irvine

 

X

 

 

5

River Garnock

 

X

 

 

5

River South Esk

 

 

X

 

7

Stewartry coastal

 

X

 

 

1

Galloway coastal

 

X

 

X

8

 

Total

133

N.B The protected areas in Table 1 are designated under European legislation to provide water for human consumption (as a drinking water protected area), as bathing water, to support species or habitats important on European scale or to support economically important shellfish water.

For each diffuse pollution priority catchment SEPA has appointed a catchment co-ordinator. This co-ordinator will act as a single point of contact for the catchment and will be responsible for co-ordinating and organising evidence gathering, awareness raising events and inspection work between all parties involved. They will work closely with the area advisory group co-ordinators, so that those stakeholders are involved in the process of developing networks and co-ordinating activities to manage diffuse pollution in their area. 

Priority catchment approach

A process for coordinating activities in the catchments that have been prioritised is being developed, led by SEPA in consultation with DPMAG.

The rural diffuse pollution priority catchment approach has three phases:

  • characterisation and evidence gathering (desk based study and catchment walks);
  • awareness raising;
  • one to one engagement and audit (rural diffuse pollution farm assessment checklist).

Each phase needs to be adapted depending on the issues in each priority catchment. For example, the approach will depend on the types of water environment affected (eg river, loch, coast, wetland or groundwater), the pressures and land use (eg type of land use and pollutants, and the land managers and stakeholders involved).

The delivery programme of diffuse pollution priority catchments is shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4: Timeline for diffuse pollution priority catchment work based on estimated farm numbers prior to catchment assessment and risk modelling to identify operational area. The time for delivery of inspections on ground is likely to reduce (click for larger image)

Action area 10: Developing the priority catchment approach.

Action area 10.1: Delivering the priority catchment plans.

Characterisation of the catchments and evidence gathering

Once priority catchments have been identified, the intention is to explain to land managers about impacts in the catchment and the programme of work proposed to identify causes. This process will involve a mixture of desk-based assessment and field surveys. Other pressures such as abstraction, flooding risk and morphology need to be considered so that a single approach can be made to land managers, covering all pressures on the water environment and ensuring that multiple benefits can be delivered

The desk-based studies will cover:

  • assessment of catchment sensitivity;
  • modelling of land-use impacts - sources and transport pathways for the pollutants;
  • collation of known pressures (eg diffuse pollution, septic tanks, irrigation);
  • catchment surveys.

The field surveys will cover:

  • presence of buffer strips;
  • morphology impacts;
  • evidence sources of pollution (eg soil erosion);
  • invasive non natives species.

In consultation with DPMAG, area advisory groups and SEPA staff, a characterisation report[2] will be prepared which will detail the pressures and impacts in the catchment. The report will be made available in an easy-to-read format and will form the basis for stakeholder engagement as well as helping to target measures effectively.

Action area 10.2: Developing the characterisation process and delivering characterisation reports.

Awareness raising in priority catchments

On the basis of the catchment characterisation, and in discussion with the area advisory group (AAG) or a catchment steering group linked to the AAG, an awareness raising campaign will be developed for each diffuse pollution priority catchment. It will start by explaining the causes of any problems within the catchment and the types of measures which could be taken to address these.

Engagement with land managers and the local community will be based on a range of awareness raising activities such as local meetings/workshops and articles in the press. Success will rely on the quality of this engagement and resulting buy-in and behavioural changes. Follow-up visits to check progress will also be critical for sustained change.

The awareness raising campaign in each priority catchment will focus on the issues identified during the characterisation of the catchment, and will target the area where problems have been identified. A specific awareness raising campaign[3] will be developed for each priority catchment, and detailed information will be available and linked to the relevant area management plan.

Action area 10.3: Developing specific awareness raising campaigns in priority catchments.

Action area 10.4: Collecting and developing specific resources so awareness raising campaigns can be focused in priority catchments.

Engagement and audit on the ground

The next step in the process is SEPA’s one to one engagement with land mangers. SEPA staff will work proactively with land managers to achieve remedial action. This will involve an educational element and an audit based on SEPA’s farm assessment checklist and associated guidance.

This phase involves walking both the steading and fields and assessing compliance with DP GBRs and Control of Pollution (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) (Scotland) Regulations (SSAFO). Similar assessment and checklists will be used in other sectors, and pressures such as forestry, septic tanks, morphology and irrigation identified as significant within the diffuse pollution priority catchments will be addressed. Engagement in each catchment will be according to the problem and type of land management; for example, catchments draining to bathing waters will be inspected in the summer. In addition, CAR waste sheep dip to land, engineering and abstraction inspections may also be undertaken.

Advice will be provided to land managers whose premises and/or land based activities are identified as non-compliant and/or causing pollution. Links will be made to SRDP measures and other appropriate guidance once compliance with statutory standards has been achieved.

Action area 10.5: SEPA will plan and undertake a programme of inspection audits for each priority catchment.

Further support for land managers

In some diffuse pollution priority catchments, land management advice will be required which may go beyond compliance with the diffuse pollution regulations, or if the solutions are complex. This may be necessary where:

  • water bodies are highly sensitive;
  • land management is intensive and environmental impacts are severe.

For example in certain instances, nutrient budgeting could be a useful tool to help land managers lower the phosphorus content of topsoil. It is recognised that some funding support could be helpful in increase the uptake of such measures, so DPMAG will explore whether sources of funding such as the SRDP (including LEADER) and Scottish Government funding might be used to deliver this type of measure.

Action area 10.6: Review resources for detailed one to one advice.

Figure 5: Summary of the catchment approach

Monitoring and reporting in priority catchments

Specific actions will be planned, monitored and reported at catchment level. This information will be linked to area management plans and the national monitoring of progress (eg when a phase is complete) will be reported to DPMAG, including:

  • monitoring of changed awareness;
  • monitoring of measures being put in place;
  • summary of environmental monitoring.

Feedback on progress will be provided locally and in an appropriate format to land owners.

Action area 10.7: Develop a process for monitoring and reporting the effectiveness of the priority catchment approach.

[1]Insert link to DPMAG website page with papers

[2] Characterisation reports for each catchment can be found at www.sepa.org.uk/dpprioritycatchments

[3]Information on specific awareness raising campaign for each catchment can be found at www.sepa.org.uk/dpprioritycatchments