1. The second River Basin Management Plans delivery update - Argyll
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 Argyll?
FORESTRY AND DIFFUSE POLLUTION
Iterating the importance of the water environment.
Jackie McColm
SEPA

4. Hydro reviews 2 second cycle measures;
Allt Kinglass has been reassessed – not as bad as we initially thought and so has been put back to the third cycle until we better understand the ecological requirements
Abhain Fionain in the Awe catchment is progressing with flow trials to measures the wetted width and assess fish access.

5. 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.

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

7. 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

8. 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)
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.

9. 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

10. Barriers progress in Argyll
Mingarry Burn, Mull is being progressed by FCS who have agreed to ease fish passage.
Allt Sanna, Ardnamurchan is being progressed by Scottish Water who are modifying their drinking water supply to ease fish passage.
Feochan Bheag, Kilmore. The landowner is replacing a pipe culvert with a span bridge.
Glen Kerran Water, Kintyre has washed out a redundant structure all by herself!
Barcaldine barrier is being re assessed as disproportionately expensive as too little US habitat, only 400m of low quality habitat.

11. Loch Awe Fish Continuity Project
Joint project with Argyll Fishery Trust and the Wild Trout Trust
This will be in September
They’re keen to get interested folks from local authority, BEAR and FCS
Let me know if interested

12. Other projects
SEPA are collating information for the diffuse pollution focus area in Kintyre. Catchment visits are likely to take place later in the year.
Unknown sources pressures – further monitoring and investigation is underway for these waterbodies.