Soil management and water quality Environmental Focus Farms in Scotland

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Soil management and water quality Environmental
Focus Farms in Scotland
WORKING TOGETHER ON DIFFUSE POLLUTION

• Dr Alex H Sinclair
• SAC Environmental Group and collaborators

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Collaborators
WORKING TOGETHER ON DIFFUSE POLLUTION

• C Christine, W Crooks, R Crerar, E Hart, W
  Jeffrey, A Jones J Skinner SAC
• A Vinten, MI
• D Ballantine, J Bowes J MacDonald SEPA

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Monitored Priority Catchments Project
Aims

• Prepare and implement action plans to improve
  water quality
• Promote good practice and compliance
• Assess the uptake of good practice.

www.sepa.org.uk/mpc
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Monitored Priority Catchment Project
Scottish Government funded
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WORKING TOGETHER ON DIFFUSE POLLUTION
Environmental Focus Farms

• Located in Monitored Priority Catchments
• Farms identified as
• being typical of farming practice
• demonstrating examples of diffuse pollution, both
  from arable crops and livestock
• Owned by farmers willing to open their doors to
  external visitors

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Monitored Priority Catchment - Lunan Angus Lochs
Mains of Balgavies Environmental Focus Farm
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Lunan Angus Lochs Catchment
Diffuse Pollution Audit at Mains of Balgavies

• Entire catchment falls within a NVZ and
  designated river nutrient sensitive area. The
  lochs are naturally eutrophic with phosphate
  being the major pollutant of concern
• Priority BMP Lime, Nutrient and Manure
  Management Plan
• Possible BMP Watercourse protection from
  sediment, P and pesticides
• Possible BMP Fencing as appropriate

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Monitored Priority Catchment - Cessnock
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Cessnock Catchment
Diffuse Pollution Audit at Low Holehouse

• A catchment scale assessment of the impact on
  bathing water quality of faecal indicator loading
  to surface waters was previously carried out,
  showing the potential for the control of this
  problem through mitigation of pollution from
  livestock farming.
• FBDS grant for slatted cubicle shed for 30 cows
  and slurry store (1,700,200 litres 373,000 gal)

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Monitoring

• MI and SEPA in Lunan catchment
• SAC and SEPA in Cessnock catchment

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Impacts groundwater

• NVZ
• Nitrate concentrations in Angus 2006 - mean
  35mg/l (max 92 mg/l)
• Private drinking water supplies 27 gt standard
  (50 mg/l)
• Pesticides atrazine and simazine found in area

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WORKING TOGETHER ON DIFFUSE POLLUTION

• Modelled on the highly successful Monitor Farm
  approach the objective of the initiative is to
  see a significant part of the programme driven by
  farmer needs and aspirations, with SAC leading on
  providing technical assistance to meet farmer
  requirements.
• The EFFs will be used as a test bed where, in the
  context of regulatory measures and in a real
  farming situation, practical and economically
  viable solutions to pollution issues will be
  evaluated.

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Programme approach

• Diffuse pollution audit on EFF farms (Nov 06
  Jan 07)
• Identify Best Management Practices (BMPs) to
  reduce pollution (Feb 07)
• Launch and consultation with local farmer
  stakeholder group and owner (April/June 07)
• Implementation of BMPS (agricultural cycle)
• KTE outreach to farmers in the catchments (May 07
  .
• Monitoring programme to measure water quality
  outcomes (with Macaulay, Dec 06 ..) SEPA 07
• Farmer led points?
• Incorporation of other environmental dimensions
  e.g. waste management, pesticide voluntary
  initiative, GBRs etc. Nov 07
• Gradual incorporation of all aspects of farm
  business

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WORKING TOGETHER ON DIFFUSE POLLUTION
Desired programme outcomes

• BMPs are designed and costed
• Farmer acceptability and uptake is discussed
• Wider awareness of diffuse pollution issues is
  generated
• Estimation of costs of managing diffuse pollution
  (to farmer and at catchment scale)
• BMPs are incorporated in Tier III funding for
  catchment farmers
• Ensure compliance with GAEC etc
• Viable BMPs are identified and promoted elsewhere
• Water monitoring confirms water quality
  improvement at catchment scale

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SEERAD Work Package 3.5 Managing Water Quality
(2006-2011)
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Thank you