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to land managers and agency staff the issues involved. The range of environmental
improvement measures suggested centred on the provision of off stream waterings
for cattle, fencing off streams to provide a buffer strips, the creation of wetland areas
and soft engineering to improve the diversity of the stream morphology and habitat.
In order to meet the objectives of an inclusive approach to catchment management,
efforts aimed at increasing awareness and building capacity have been undertaken
at the same time as the monitoring and used to guide intervention. This has been
approached by providing a number of different forums for both presenting and
gathering relevant information. A commentary on this process is provided in the
discussion.
RESULTS
The results are presented in terms of water quality; stakeholder involvement and
outcomes from a trial intervention.
Water Quality
Table 1 shows the range and mean concentrations of the major water quality
determinands from the sites across the catchment. Each site represents a sampling
point at the bottom of each tributary of the Tarland Burn. Table 1 also gives the
BMWP score for each site. The data suggests major differences in water quality
across the catchment. In the absence of any single large discharge source within
the catchment, this variation is the result of the combined inputs of a number of
smaller point and non-point sources of pollution. In overall terms, site 13 has the
poorest water quality as noted in the high concentrations of FIOs and elevated
concentrations of ammonia, nitrate and phosphate, relative to the other sites. The
invertebrate analysis reflects this poor water quality.
Table 1:
Variation in concentrations from monthly samples for water quality
for selected chemical determinands and quarterly invertebrate
samples in the Tarland catchment tributaries 2000 to 2002
Site
Number
226
PO 4
-P
mg/L
NO 3
-N
mg/L
NH 4
-N
mg/L
Faecal coliforms
/100 mL
BMWP
score
1 0.02 3.49 0.03 7031 96
0.008–0.05 1.34–4.75 < 0.003–0.11 420–35000
10 0.01 3.42 0.03 586 103
< 0.005–0.04 1.14–6.22 0.003–0.10 100–2600
13 0.11 4.72 0.11 127207 83
0.022–0.27 2.28–6.63 < 0.003–0.36 320–640000
14 0.06 2.61 0.04 1043 97
0.013–0.29 1.21–3.73 0.003–0.14 300–2800
15 0.01 3.20 0.03 297 96
0.005–0.02 2.33–4.25 0.004–0.08 20–600
16 0.01 5.06 0.03 1885 92
< 0.005–0.03 3.51–6.51 < 0.003–0.08 600–2800
20 0.01 3.97 0.02 253 104
< 0.005–0.03 2.33–5.04 0.003–0.05 200–340