FOR THOSE who enjoy nothing better than an acronym the latest in the world of the environment is SWMI, writes Ewan Pate, the farming editor.

It stands for Significant Water Management Issue and, unfortunately, there are quite few of them in Scotland.

With many of them the accusatory finger points directly at the farming industry.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has been consulting on these SWMIs as part of its ongoing work on river basin management and the all-encompassing Water Framework Directive (WFD).

There are 20,819 kilometres of watercourses in Scotland and by SEPA’s estimation 9083 kilo- metres of the total is at “risk of failing to achieve good status.”

Diffuse agricultural pollution is blamed as the most important cause of problems in rivers, lochs and groundwater.

With 4025 kilometres of rivers and burns affected it amounts to 44% of the “failing” watercourses.

However, put in context it may not be too surprising, since agriculture uses 75% of Scotland’s 5.5 million hectares.

Water abstraction for livestock or irrigation is blamed for potential problems in a further 833 kilometres of watercourses, mostly in the drier east of the country.

An increase in red tape has often been the response to problems such as SWMIs but NFU Scotland has said in a response to SEPA that it considers there no need for further regulation.

It further asserts that what is required in order to best address the issues is better practical advice and business and financial incentives for farm businesses.

NFU Scotland’s head of rural policy, Jonathan Hall, said, “We fully appreciate that SEPA’s report sets out the key issues affecting the water environment in Scotland, but what we must ensure now is that the policy framework put in place to address these does not disproportionately impact on Scotland’s agricultural industry or the farm businesses that comprise it.

“When it comes to finding solutions to water management issues NFUS is firmly of the opinion that advice and incentive, rather than blunt regulatory tools, are required to help farmers reduce any adverse impact on the water environment from agricultural production.

“Often, the most pragmatic solutions simply involve improved awareness and guidance on simple steps that can be taken by farm businesses.”

The SEPA report does suggest some measures which might be taken, including additional regulations which would require farmers to comply with management agreements with their upstream and downstream neighbours over the timing of irrigation.

On some watercourses this could involve quite a number of businesses.

Mr Hall regards such an approach as being “blunt and clumsy” and unlikely to succeed in a dry summer when everyone wants to irrigate at the same time.

SEPA has also tentatively suggested that increased water storage to capture winter rainfall might be part funded by the recently launched Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) and that the SEPA abstraction charges could be modified to provide incentives to abstract when rivers are high.

Many would agree that additional reservoir capacity on farms is by far the most sensible solution but unfortunately there is a snag.

“It would be great,” said Mr Hall. “These reservoirs could also provide a wildlife benefit, but looking at the present measures in the SRDP I do not see anything that would fit.

“Water storage is an investment in a business and not primarily an agri-environment measure so it would not fit with the focus of SRDP as far as capital expenditure is concerned.”

Diffuse pollution, whether from fertilisers, animal manures, soil erosion or agrochemicals, is seen as being the biggest issue as far as bringing in more regulations is concerned.

Mr Hall said, “It could be Nitrate Vulnerable Zones by the back door for the whole country if it means raising all standards to the same level.

“It would save a lot of trouble if more emphasis was put on advice and guidance, even on relatively straightforward matters such as livestock being too near water courses.”

“Diffuse pollution is absolutely at the top of SEPA’s agenda but I think more work has to be done to assess the effects of water run-off from roads and urban areas, including phosphates from sewage.”