1. The second River Basin Management Plans delivery update - Highland
Jenny Davies
RBMP coordinator
June 2017

2. Objectives and state of the water environment in Scotland
HIGH
GOOD
MODERATE
POOR
BAD
No deterioration
Improve to Good Status by 2027
Protected Areas
R e s t o r e
RBMPs has two main types of objectives.
First is to protect against deterioration in quality – through authorising new activities, land use planning decisions and protecting against the spread of invasive.
Second is to improve to good status by Ambitious plan – We need to do this unless there is a very good reason not to.
The plans also cover protected areas – bathing waters, drinking water, shellfish waters and conservation areas.
5. Objective setting has been lead by the Water unit supported by SEPA sector leads and informed by
external sector engagement
consultation feedback
ecosystems services data
PA status (SAC, SPA, NVZ, UWWTD etc)
confidence of classification and pressures
estimated costs of improvement versus the ££ available (done through scenarios and impacts on use)

3. What needs done in Highland?
FORESTRY AND DIFFUSE POLLUTION
Iterating the importance of the water environment.
Jackie McColm
SEPA

4. 2021 Hydro reviews
River Grundie – site visit done. No migratory fish access but a lot of available habitat.
River Lundy – awaiting data from the operator. Mixed fish habitat so not sure how valuable for ecology.
Abhainn Srath Chrombaill – site visit done. Hands off flow ids provided and thought could be adequate already. Further ecological surveys required before objective is changed.

5. Diffuse Pollution
Next round of Priority Catchments: 329 initial 1:1 and 127 revisits were completed
Over 75% of land mangers visit were either compliant or taking steps towards becoming compliant.
Engagement - workshops with SRUC, to help raise land managers awareness under the branding of “Farming and Water Scotland” (FWS) SEPA staff have been planning and booking attendance at 40 farm events/shows.
Land Unit staff have been undertaking 1:1 visits in the Whiteadder, Tweed, Dignity, Dundee coastal, Stonehaven, Nairn, Inverness Coastal, Ken/Dee, Girvan, Dumfries coastal and Urr catchments initial 1:1 engagement visits were completed in these catchments during the last quarter. Also during this quarter 127 revisits were completed in the Garnock, Dee and Buchan coastal catchments. Over 75%of land mangers visit were either compliant with our requirements or taking steps towards becoming compliant. SEPA staff have also been involved in, farm workshops with SRUC, to help raise land managers awareness of the issues within these priority catchments.
With Scotland’s Rural College, under the branding of “Farming and Water Scotland” (FWS) SEPA staff have been planning and paying for attendance at farm events/shows. 40 shows have been booked across Scotland to help deliver key regulatory messages and advice for farming businesses on diffuse pollution and the General Binding Rules.

7. Bathing Waters Corporate objective - all 84 Sufficient by 2020
Improvement measures need to be delivered by 2019 (currently 12 Poor)
SW measures - 1 complete, 1 underway, 3 studies ongoing, 2 studies due and
Other measures – 14 priority catchments
Undertaking intensive monitoring investigations in catchments, including DNA
Stakeholder engagement to share information, identify activities, coordinate and manage progress, achieve wider ownership of improvement plans
SEPA expects that 72 of last year’s 84 designated BW across Scotland will meet at least Sufficient or better European water quality standards when confirmed classifications for 2016 are issued by the EU in spring 2017
The 12 BW waters classified as Poor at the end of the 2016 season are detailed in
11 Bathing Waters of these have had 2 successive years of a Poor classification
1 Bathing Water has had a single year of Poor classification.
There are a further 7 sites which are currently Sufficient/Good but have been assessed to be at risk of future deterioration in class.
In order to achieve SEPA’s corporate objective, Bathing Water Improvement Plans are therefore required to be delivered by 2019 for the 19 bathing waters at Poor or at Sufficient/Good but at risk of being classified as Poor.
In addition, a decision has been taken by Scottish Government to designate two new Bathing Waters (Gairloch and Big Sand) in These new areas will not have classifications available until the end of 2017 season.
Scottish water
Bathing Waters were promoted for study where it was anticipated that there was a risk that the BW would not achieve the Sufficient classification and where Scottish Water assets are in close proximity.
Annex 1 summarises the status of studies and improvement measures being undertaken by Scottish Water in these locations.
Of the 19 BW, investment by SW is complete or is due to complete by 2019 at 3 locations (Kinghorn, Rockcliffe, Saltcoats).
Investment needs have been confirmed at 2 further BW (Portobello and Fisherrow), however, although these outputs are on track against Scottish Water’s delivery plan milestones, they are not due to deliver by 2019.
A SR10 study is ongoing at 3 BW (Ayr South, Heads of Ayr and Prestwick) has been delayed and is now due to complete in 2017, at which time it will be possible to confirm any needs and consider delivery timescales.
Studies were promoted into SR15 for 2 BW (Eyemouth, Monifieth) in autumn 2016, however they have not yet been initiated and therefore present a risk that any measures identified will not be complete by 2019.
Stakeholder Engagement – SW, SEPA, local authorities and local residents actively participate and support these groups.
Two stakeholder partnership action groups (Nairn and Kinghorn) were initiated in 2016 following the publication of the Poor BW classification.
three further groups covering the Edinburgh and Lothian BWs, the Ayrshire BWs and Eyemouth BW.
Some additional invited representation, such as a community or business representative, CAS or NFUS as relevant to the locations.
The aims of the stakeholder partnership action groups are:
To share information, identify activities, coordinate and manage progress in partnership with the responsible organisations, local authorities and local communities.
To consider and implement specific actions or campaigns that, partners and communities can undertake and achieve a wider ownership of the improvement plans.

8. 71 Diffuse Pollution Focus Areas
(must do focus Area highlighted in grey)
Protected areas
Is forestry a major pressure
Delivery mechanism
Gretna Coastal (Winterhope DWPA)
DWPA N
Programme of measures led by Scottish Water
Island of Bute Coastal (DWPA)
Sanday Coastal
Orkney Coastal
Westray Coastal
Arran Coastal
Dornoch Coastal
SAC Y
Programme of measures led by Forestry Commission Scotland and SNH
River Cassley
River Oykel
River Borgie
Island of Mull Coastal
Mingarry Burn SAC (FWPM)
River Tweed (SAC)
Whitlaw And Branxholme SAC
Programme of measure led by SNH
12 lead by stakeholders 7 SEPA lead – further investigation required 53 Shellfish Water Protected Areas will be partnership projects. Initially SEPA are working with Food Standard Scotland, FSS and other partners to improve understanding of the pressure during cycle 2.
SEPA has identified catchments that are not suitable for the priority catchment approach but still require measures to mitigate diffuse pollution; these have been given the name of focus areas.
In general the land use in these areas is relatively low risk, comprising mainly of upland bog, heather and Forestry. They have limited areas of improved grassland for livestock farming the majority of which can be observed alongside the river in the lower catchment and along the coastline.

9. Barriers to fish migration
Active - CAR provisions/ licence review
Assets - often not associated with a controlled activity but typically responsibility lies with local or national authority. Addressed through asset management programmes.
Historic – financial support through WEF
Some will require coordinated partnership approach led by a relevant public body or delivery group.

10. Process for barriers Screening Scoping Options Appraisal Design Build
Evaluate

11. Categories of fish barriers and delivery mechanisms
Active barrier
Historic barrier
Controlled Activities Regulation
Asset barrier
Water Environment Fund
Active - This year, priority is for the hydro sector.
This is done through the regulatory process, all these barriers have an associated CAR authorisation and improvements will be delivered through a variation of their authorisation.
New Restoration Regulations

12. Historic Barriers
On going projects: 14 barriers to be eased/removed this cycle
New projects: 18 “new” barriers to be eased/removed this cycle
Internal scoping study
Planning phase ( )
Build phase (2019/2021)
Water of Glencalvie, Easter Ross is scheduled for build next year.
Re-priotisation to fit with the allocated WEF budget.
On going projects:
At the build phase:
Almond Barriers- 7 barriers phased over 5 years
Lugton Water Barriers- 2 barriers to be done next year
Water of Glencalvie- 1 barrier to be done next year
At the developing stage:
Kirk Burn- 1 barrier
Tyne Barriers- 3 barriers
New projects:
Internal scoping studies:
To increase understanding of the For SEPA specialists to understand the individual priority barriers for RBMP2
To prepare technical information and understanding prior to engaging consultant to assess or design fish passage.
To identify, in general terms, if SEPA believe removal is a realistic option, requiring further investigating
To identify if other options should be considered e.g, fish pass, bypass, partial removal.
16 scoping to happen before the end of march and another 15 in the spring. We will scope all historic barriers this cycle. We have very good feedback on the process, have learnt a lot of the barriers and this will allow us to be more efficient in delivering improvements on FBs.

13. Asset Barriers Active Barriers Engagement with the asset owners
Scoping studies
Remediation notice
Active Barriers
Engagement with the responsible person
Licence review
Engagement with the asset owners:
Forestry, council, Network rail, Transport Scotland…. This is to happen this year
Scoping study :
Same principle than for the historic but will involve the asset owner too.
Remediation notice:
It is a planning tool that can be used as an enforcement tool if needed. But, we want to engage with the owners first.
Developing process internally and raising awareness with asset owner

14. Asset barriers workshop
6th June met with all responsible authorities to explain the roles and responsibilities surrounding barriers to fish migration.
Presentations on the web.
Scoping of the 6 asset barriers in Highland will start at the end of the summer.