Water Management

With high importance placed on Scotland’s water quality, how we manage land is key to protecting and improving our water resources.

Our rivers are important habitats for a large variety of animals and plants and play a vital role in connecting habitats.

Riparian areas provide shelter, food, shade, and a buffer area to prevent runoff from adjacent fields, helping to prevent pollution from reaching the watercourse.  Root systems from riparian vegetation aid riverbank stabilisation and can help prevent erosion.

Reducing diffuse pollution risks to watercourses can benefit your business in a number of ways, for example making better use of nutrients in slurry and manure or an improvement in livestock health through cleaner drinking water supplies. It can also help you to stay on the right side of the Regulations and protect farm payments, whilst protecting the surrounding water quality.

‘The Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 (as amended)’ provides practical advice on the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) and details which activities are regulated by SEPA.