The Rural Diffuse Pollution Plan for Scotland. Jannette MacDonald Land Unit, SEPA

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1 The Rural Diffuse Pollution Plan for Scotland Jannette MacDonald Land Unit, SEPA

2 Package of Measures Regulations Guidance and tools Funding

3 Regulations - The Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 LICENCE REGISTRATION GBRs Diffuse Pollution General Binding Rules (DP GBRs) Simple rules based on widely accepted standards of good practice Provide a level playing field for land mangers Cover activities posing a risk to the water environment; Storage and application of fertiliser Cultivation of land Keeping of livestock Application of pesticides Operating of sheep dip facilities

4 Funding Scotland Rural Development Programme riparian buffer strips, fencing, tracks, gates and river crossings, biobeds, constructed farm wetlands, arable reversion to grassland national target for water quality measures in priority catchments Cross compliance GAEC and SMRs

5 Guidance and tools Codes of good practice Sector and pollutant specific codes Free nutrient management tool and dissemination seminars Demonstration Farms The Voluntary Initiative for Pesticides

6 Implementation National approach awareness raising, guidance & training and national compliance assessment Sound science demonstrate impact, pollutant source and pathways. Priority catchment approach - a catchment management type approach evidence gathering, awareness raising, one to one land manager inspections and advice, targeting measures and funding.

7 Priority catchments Priority catchment approach Risk based approach Evidence Base Awareness Raising One to one visits 14 selected for first cycle based on protected area status and risks to human health Cover some of Scotland s most important waters for bathing, drinking, conservation and recreation

8 Priority catchment findings > 5000 km walked and on average one noncompliance per km Several other sources of pollution found Good pictorial evidence base

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10 Priority catchment findings the science bit How do these findings relate to loadings of FIOs and P and impact on bathing water and river ecology?

11 Feedback to Land Managers Point on map Description Mitigation Measure(s) SRDP options Land Manager Options 1 Potential for GBR 19 breach if livestock allowed access Exclude livestock or fence off and provide alternative water supply Water margins and enhanced riparian buffer areas 4 GBR 19 breachpoaching by livestock within 5 metres of surface water Exclude livestock or fence off and provide alternative water supply Water margins and enhanced riparian buffer areas 8 Compliant buffer strip (2m) on Right hand bank Retain buffer strip and consider extending to 6 metres Water margins and enhanced riparian buffer areas Grass margins and beetlebanks Soil and water management programme LMO 14 Management of grass margins and beetlebanks in arable fields LMO 17- Retention of winter stubbles LMO 24- Natural Regeneration after cereals

12 Frequently Asked Questions So would do you want me to fix the problems around the steading, the road or the fields first? How long does it take for GWR to recover? The NVZ rules seem to have made no difference. How much do septic tanks contribute? And what about cattle watering points? Years ago the burn was hooching with stuff (technical term!) and we used to throw all sorts on the land. Now it s more strict and there are hardly any fish now. Why is that? What about all the silt that comes down the burn naturally? Will getting everyone to do this, fix the problem at the beach then?

13 Summary Simple, effective process, delivered in partnership and focusing on achieving baseline good practice, on which to build for the next plan Monitoring the effect of measures

14 Key questions to assess and understand the effectiveness of measures to improve water quality as described in the Rural Diffuse Pollution Plan. 1. Where is the problem? 2. Is it fixed yes or no? 3. Why and how are changes happening? - Can we separate the effect of our measures from economic impacts, land use change and other pressures? - If no improvements are evident, why is this? Are the measures technically suitable? Are they effectively implemented? - When will the measures deliver required improvements? 4. What are the most cost-effective measures that deliver the greatest multiple benefits for the next planning cycle and rural development programme???

15 WFD Objectives Water body type Good or high status 2015 Objective Strategy No deterioration National awareness raising Less than good status but near the boundary Less than good status where a targeted catchment approach required Good status Improvement by one status class National awareness raising Priority catchment approach

16 Data framework to provide an integrated approach to understanding water quality Examples Land managers attitude and engagement Surveys Focus Groups SRDP applications Research Land use and management Catchment walks Farm visits Land use change SRDP implementation Multiple benefits Monitoring Environmental Quality WFD Classification Monitored chemistry and ecology Soils data Modelling Costs RBMP Impact Assessment SRDP spend

17 Thank you Rural Diffuse Pollution Plan se_pollution_mag.aspx Priority catchments priority_catchments.aspx CAR Practical Guide

18 PC Water Monitoring - Principles 1. Identify areas of concern Biological impacts Available historic monitoring Usage Catchment walks, farm visits 2. Screening techniques Detect presence / absence Identify hotspots Passive samplers / ecology Spot samples 3. Assess site-specific requirements Pollutant properties Potential sources Questions to be answered 4. Focussed monitoring Quantitative techniques Focused on hotspots Focused on usage periods Ramp up monitoring effort as needed

19 Source Fertiliser Pesticide Land use and management Pathway Run-off Erosion Leaching Direct Receptor Variability Delayed eco response More focus than in the past

20 Spares

21 Key Science Questions and Tools Source apportionment Mapping priority areas Effect of measures

22 Research Questions Modelling to understand source, pathway, receptor catchment processes What is the contribution of the GBR breaches to water body and protected area status? How far will compliance get us to good status? To what extent is the implementation of measures, rather than the effect of the measures themselves, an issue? What are the most cost-effective measures? What tools are required to help target measures and deliver multiple benefits? Guidance on multiple benefits e.g. management of buffer strips, minimisation of GHG emissions

23 Multiple benefits cumulatively at the catchment/ landscape scale Water quality improvement and farm and forestry business benefit resource use. Climate change, flooding and soil quality. Add-on benefits for Scotland plc Biodiversity, habitat connectivity, landscape, river restoration

24 Key Points Losses of diffuse pollutants = loss to farm business efficiency Good evidence base local and pictorial Partnership approach common messages Face to face contact with land managers key National and targeted measures are both required Risk based implementation Get the baseline right e.g. statutory good practice = long term cost-effectiveness and no deterioration

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26 WHY? YES Measures effective or Land use change Land management change Other? Good status? NO Measures ineffective or Measures not targeted Measures not implemented Land use change Land management change Other pressures Climate change Monitoring ineffective high inter-annual variability Delayed ecological response Delayed groundwater response Other?

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28 Links to UK and EU work WFD and Agriculture Expert Group Aims to have an overview of WFD in agricultural sector E.G. April meeting; CAP/WFD Rural Development Programmes GAEC implementation RBMP review See WISE www

29 River Basins Network sub-group Aims to share practical experiences and examples of good practice in support of the WFD implementation by; Evaluation of measures and specific issues 19 members from 11 countries E.g. April meeting Production of guidance document on making PoM operational

30 Current projects Diffuse Pollution Monitored Catchments Review of the sources of, and measures to control, diffuse agricultural pollution Quantifying the Benefits of Water Quality Catchment Management Initiatives. Source Apportionment Under The Water Framework Directive Predicting and understanding the effectiveness of measures to mitigate rural diffuse pollution Effect of awareness raising Predictive modelling Mapping New S Govt funded R and D and Centre for Expertise in Waters (CREW)