3. River basin management plans
• Plan for the Scotland river basin district now
published at www.sepa.org.uk/water/river-
basin-management-planning
• 44-page document, supported by
appendices and an online data tool.
• Identifies where water bodies are affected by
fish barriers, changes to physical condition,
pollution, changes to flows, or invasive
species.
• Sets out actions and objectives to protect
and improve the water environment.
• The plan acknowledges that there are areas
where more information is needed
5. Fish barrier update
• Artificial barriers to fish migration
are a top priority for the 2nd
RBMP
• Now at the point of spending
significant resources and need
confidence in our assessments
• Need for improved information
on natural limits to migration
upstream of weirs and dams
• Priority list developed for checking
• Smartphone app to improve
information
7. Loch classification
• Classification tool now
developed for gillnet data
• Measures the response to
nutrient pressures (TP
gradient)
• NORDIC gillnet methodology
• 35 lochs, wide range of sites
(MSS, SEPA SNH, Stirling Uni)
• Method provides 2 results
• Rule based classification
• Quantitative EQR based
classification
• SFINX (?)
8.
9. Can we use eDNA to assess fish?
• Gillnetting is expensive, time consuming,
destructive, biased and unpopular
• SEPA pilot project with RZSS has shown that shed
DNA can be identified in water samples
• Follow up project underway with EA, CEH &
University of Hull
1: Comparing DNA traces in water samples with
alternative data (gillnetting & hydroacoustic)
2: Assessing sampling requirements- spatial and
temporal variability
11. Key results: species presence
Previously (ever) recorded species
(16)
12S: 14 (88%)
Cytb: 12 (75%)
Gill netting survey 2014: 4 (25%)
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
12S freq
cytb freq
Proportionofsitespresent
Lake Windermere (65 samples)
12. 5 10 15
0.00.20.40.60.81.0
a) Windermere North Basin
Long term rank
SiteOccupancy(12S)
BRE
EEL LOA
BUL
PIK
3SS
RLA
PER
SLA
MIN
ROA
SAL
BTR
CHA
RUD
TEN
Spearman: rho=-0.835, P=5.713e-05
5 10 15
0.00.20.40.60.81.0
b) Windermere South Basin
Long term rank
SiteOccupancy(12S)
BRE
EEL
LOA
BUL
PIK
3SS
RLA
PER
SLA
MIN
ROA
SAL
BTR
CHA RUD
TEN
Spearman: rho=-0.766, P=0.00005
0.20.40.60.81.0
c) Bassenthwaite
iteOccupancy(12S)
EEL
PIKRUF
DAC
PER
MIN
ROA
SAL
BTR
0.20.40.60.81.0
d) Derwent Water
iteOccupancy(12S)
EELVEN
PIK
RUF
PER MIN
ROA
BTR
Key results: species abundance
13. Key results: species ecology
South Basin North Basin
a) Read Count: 12S
0.00.20.40.60.81.0
ProportionofSequenceReads
South Basin North Basin
b) Read Count: cytb
0.00.20.40.60.81.0
ProportionofSequenceReads
South Basin North Basin
c) Site Occupancy: 12S
0.00.20.40.60.81.0
ProportionofSitesOccupied
South Basin North Basin
d) Site Occupancy: cytb
0.00.20.40.60.81.0
ProportionofSitesOccupied
South
North
a) Proportion Read Count: 12S
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
SequenceReads
Legend
S. salar
P. phoxinus
C. gobio
S. trutta
S. alpinus
T. tinca
S. erythrophthalmus
R. rutilus
A. anguilla
A. brama
B. barbatula
E. lucius
P. fluviatilis
G. aculeatus
Oligotrophic
association
Eutrophic
association
No
association
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
1945 1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005
Year
MeanSRPinfirst4weeks(mgm
-3
) North
basin
South
basin
16. Next stages
• Repeat Osgaig & Windermere sampling in winter
• Sample ultra low abundance site (Loch Katrine)
• Expand sampling to a wider range of sites
eDNA lake fish project
The Scotland plan has now been published on SEPA’s website. It is a short, focused document, supported by a volume of appendices and an online data tool, the water environment hub. A similar plan for the cross-border Solway Tweed will be published following final approval of the English part of the plan by the UK government.
The river basin management plan sets out the current condition of Scotland’s water bodies (including rivers, lochs, groundwaters and coastal waters), and identifies where pressures such as fish barriers, changes to physical condition, pollution, changes to flows or invasive species have had an impact on ecological status.
It sets out actions such as restoration of fish passage, improvement of physical condition and investment and regulation to reduce pollution. Ultimately, these actions should mean that around 94% of Scotland’s water bodies will reach good ecological status, with 88% reaching good by 2027.
Examples of actions include the removal (or easement) of 145 barriers to fish migration by 2021, to improve 167 water bodies and two protected nature sites, with further actions to improve fish passage scheduled for the period 2021 to 2027.
The plan acknowledges that there are areas where more information is needed (in Appendix 5). One of these is the need to understand and manage the likely risks posed by an expansion of marine fish farming. In order to support and guide sustainable development, we will increase our understanding of risks to the water environment that could result from a growing aquaculture sector and identify how those risks can be managed.
The Water Environment Hub is an important part of the RBMP, and there are direct links from the document into this web tool. It allows you to look at current condition, and identify where there are pressures (this map shows all water bodies affected by fish barrier pressures).
The menu on the left allows you to see when action will be taken and good condition restored for each water body. You can also view charts and data, and filter the map in various ways.
This tool will be improved during February to increase the amount of water body information that it displays.