Title: Soil management and water quality Environmental Focus Farms in Scotland
1Soil management and water quality Environmental
Focus Farms in Scotland
WORKING TOGETHER ON DIFFUSE POLLUTION
- Dr Alex H Sinclair
- SAC Environmental Group and collaborators
2Collaborators
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
3Monitored 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
4Monitored Priority Catchment Project
Scottish Government funded
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6WORKING 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
7Monitored Priority Catchment - Lunan Angus Lochs
Mains of Balgavies Environmental Focus Farm
8Lunan 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
9Monitored Priority Catchment - Cessnock
10Cessnock 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)
11Monitoring
- MI and SEPA in Lunan catchment
- SAC and SEPA in Cessnock catchment
12Impacts 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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16WORKING 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.
17Programme 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
18WORKING 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
19SEERAD Work Package 3.5 Managing Water Quality
(2006-2011)
20Thank you