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On the basis of discussions with the land mangers and other stakeholders it was
agreed that that any interventions to improve water quality should be undertaken
in a systematic basis by concentrating efforts on individual tributaries. In the light
of this and the data presented in Table 1 initial intervention work concentrated on
the tributary represented by site 13. After further investigation of the tributary and
in conjunction with the riparian land managers, three specific intervention measures
were identified and implemented. These were: (a) the overhaul of the operation of a
septic tank, (b) the installation of buffer strips and water troughs to reduce the need
for cattle using the stream waterings and (c) the establishment of a small wetland
where field drainage collector pipes were known to issue directly to the burn. These
measures were implemented during the winter and spring of 2002/03. From the
programme of samples taken comparison of the water quality and invertebrates for
the year prior to and after the interventions were made is presented in Table 2. The
data indicate significant reductions in the concentrations of phosphate, ammonia,
nitrate and faecal coliforms. Furthermore a significant increase is seen in the BMWP
score.
Table 2:
Water quality and invertebrate data prior to and post-intervention
above tributary site 13
Determinand Pre-intervention Post-intervention
PO 4
-P (mg/L) 0.032
(< DL–0.11)
NH 4
-N (mg/L) 0.043
(< DL–0.166)
NO 3
-N (mg/L) 4.96
(3.48–5.89)
Faecal coliforms 252000
(640000–29000)
BMWP 72
(59–89)
Stakeholder Involvement
0.018
(< DL–0.050)
0.015
(< DL–0.052)
4.26
(3.33–4.89)
2080
(320–5000)
90
(74–113)
An important element of establishing, prioritising and agreeing to intervention
works in the Tarland catchment has been to include and involve the catchment
stakeholders. To fulfil this requirement stakeholders have been involved in a number
of ways according to their interest and stake in the catchment. At the basic level, the
community have been introduced to the issues, need for intervention and concept
of catchment management through a mixture of informal and formal meetings,
presentations, summary information and a web site (www.macaulay.ac.uk/tarland/).
At the next level of engagement an annual seminar and discussion group with the
farmers has taken place. Through this mechanism additional information from past
experiences in the form of anecdotal evidence has been made available. Furthermore,
the options for possible tributaries have been identified and the mechanisms for
reducing pollution have been discussed together with possible advantages or
constraints on sites have been identified. Finally the principal land managers (the
MacRobert Trust estate manager, Scottish Water) together with Agency and research
staff (SEPA, SNH, Macaulay Institute and Aberdeenshire Council) formed a steering
group. This group has taken the available information and views expressed by the
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