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Velocity Indicates the speed of flood water and the direction in which it is travelling within Potentially Vulnerable Areas (PVAs). Velocity direction is available only within the river flood maps. It is sampled at a 150m resolution therefore cannot be used to identify detailed flow pathways. The velocity displayed on the river flood map shows the general speed and direction of flood water over a

Natural Susceptibility to Coastal Erosion Areas likely to be susceptible to coastal erosion based on natural features including the height and geology of the land (relative to sea level), distance to the sea and wave action. This map does not take account of existing flood or coastal erosion protection structures and does not indicate areas that will erode or the timescales over which coastal eros

Estuarine Surge Attenuation Shows estuaries that may be affected by coastal surges caused by tides or winds where flooding occurs further up the estuary. This map will be used in the Flood Risk Management Planning process to select the most appropriate action to take to tackle flood risk and will not be used in isolation. Please refer to the SEPA website for more information on natural flood manag

Runoff Reduction Shows area of high runoff to help target runoff reducing activities. Areas of high run off can be more susceptible to faster flooding. This map will be used in the Flood Risk Management Planning process to select the most appropriate action to take to tackle flood risk and will not be used in isolation. Please refer to the SEPA website for more information on natural flood managem

Marine aquaculture modelling Computer modelling is used as a guide to determining licensed discharge quantities of anti-parasitic chemicals and organic waste arising from marine fish-farm operations. The modelling tools promoted by SEPA provide robust predictions in most cases, requiring relatively little site-specific information. Nevertheless, the quality of the model outputs is dependent upon g

Conserving and protecting the world’s natural resources is vital. For Scotland to become a resilient, resource efficient economy, we must cut waste production, keep materials circulating for as long as possible, prevent the harms from waste management and tackle waste crime. SEPA’s waste to resources framework sets out how we work to deliver these goals, in line with our Sector Planning approach a

Use our flood maps to check flooding risks in your area or anywhere in Scotland. THIS CONTENT HAS BEEN MOVED TO BETA Flood maps Our flood maps are designed to help you understand how you could be affected by flooding. The maps show you areas which are likely to flood from rivers, the sea and surface water. The flood maps are a public tool and used by a wide variety of people for a range of work. We currently have two map viewers available. To determine which viewer will benefi

The majority of dams will require an authorisation from SEPA under "The Water Environment (Controlled Activities)(Scotland) Regulations 2011 (CAR). This authorisation number will start CAR/.../... If you don't have a CAR authorisation for your dam, then you should contact your local SEPA team to discuss this. You can find more advice on impoundments and water resources authorisations on our Enviro

Further technical guidance This page brings together a number of ancillary guidance documents and previous email bulletin information relating to modelling of marine fish-farms for CAR licence applications. Auxiliary biomass sampling transect In areas where the tidal residual current is weak, the auxiliary transect (site-specific sampling 2) may be aligned along a bearing reciprocal to the primary

We have three categories of monitoring which have different but complementary purposes: surveillance, operational and investigative. This strategy ensures we are collecting the right information in the right place and allows us to concentrate our effort on the greatest risks to the environment. We have many years of experience in monitoring and protecting the aquatic environment. In 2007, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) introduced the need for a broader, more holistic approach to monitoring and classifying Scotland’s aquatic environment. Its aim is to use data collected to protect and improve water bodies in order that they meet good ecological status, or similar objective. This moni