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LIVESTOCK TRACKS, GATES and RIVER CROSSING - impacts on diffuse pollution (Rural Priorities)
Article 36(a)(vi)
Measure Code (216)
Rationale for Intervention
The quality of Scotland's water environment is generally good. However, many of Scotland's river water bodies are at risk of not meeting the Water Framework Directive ( WFD) objectives due to diffuse water pollution, principally from agriculture and forestry.
Tracks, gateways and river crossings can be a significant source of sediment, faecal matter and nutrients to the water environment. Properly constructed and located river crossings can help to alleviate the pressure from access of livestock to watercourses. Where required, tracks and gates should be relocated to areas less likely to become run-off channels and, if practicable, tracks built from non-eroding material. Gateways and tracks located in high-risk areas, such as at the bottom of a slope and near to a watercourse, should be moved to lower risk areas ( e.g. where run-off may be diverted to buffer strips or enhanced riparian buffer areas).
Many fields have gateways located at the bottom of a slope and near to a watercourse. Increased activity occurs around gateways, including trampling by livestock (particularly on dairy farms) and compaction by machinery. Repositioning the gateway would decrease the loss of phosphate associated with sediment losses and FIOs from grass fields, by reducing hydrological connectivity. There would be minimal effect on nitrate losses.
A gateway at the bottom of a slope may provide a break in the hedge bank, which might otherwise retain surface run-off in the field. Ruts from tractor wheel tracks and animal pathways tend to converge on gateways and can channel surface water flows to these positions. Re-siting gateways in lower-risk areas with reduced hydrological connectivity lowers the potential for the mobilisation of soil and water. It could greatly reduce sediment and associated phosphate losses within sloping fields where poaching and machinery compaction often occur around gateways at the bottom of a slope. Where such fields are adjacent to roads, this could also greatly reduce sediment and associated nutrient losses.
Livestock tracks, gates and crossings are means of controlling nutrients and faecal material from livestock. A study in the Brighouse Bay catchment by Professor David Kay ( CREH) and associates has shown there is potential to reduce faecal contamination by these means.
It is essential that this measure is targeted to priority areas and within those areas catchment scale uptake is encouraged through collaborative applications. The nature of diffuse pollution is that the many and varied sources are individually insignificant but at the catchment scale have a significant impact. In order to address the pressure mitigation measures must likewise have catchment scale implementation.
Objectives of the measure
This measure aims to mitigate water pollution and thereby contribute to public health and well-being. Capital investments are needed to mitigate such pollution, targeted at areas where water bodies are of low quality. These investments will deliver both efficiencies in the use and treatment of polluting substances and help to secure and environmentally sustainable industry.
Scope and actions
The measure supports improvements to and changing the location of tracks, gateways and river crossings in order to reduce soil erosion, nutrient and faecal indicator organism ( FIO) pollution from livestock.
Tracks and river crossings are mainly relevant to livestock, especially to dairy cows walking to and from milking.
All items funded through this measure must be maintained for five years.
Amounts of support
It is proposed it be funded to the extent of 50% on an actual cost basis except for gates which are a standard cost capital item.
There is a Standard Cost capital option for gates.
The standard reference is the SAC Farm Management handbook 2005/2006
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