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Natural Flood Management - A Farmer's Guide

SRUC have published a 'Natural Flood Management - A Farmers Guide' booklet which uses the Eddleston Water Project as a case study to highlight the benefits of Natural Flood Management.

A number of videos accompany the booklet which identify some of the measures that can be used on farm to reduce the impact of localised flooding.

Green Engineering

Blocking Drains

Scotland's Farm Advisory Service - Videos

Woodlands for Water

Hear from two Ayrshire farmers how the Forestry Grant Scheme helped them get more from under utilitsed land, whilst helping to improve water quality and contributing to natural flood management.


 

The Use of Cover Crops

Offline Storage

Riparian Woodlands

Fighting Bank Erosion with Willow Spiling

Fighting bank erosion with willow spiling

Learn more about willow spiling and how it can help prevent riverbank erosion.
 


 

Scotland's Farm Advisory Service Video

 

Water is the most valuable resource on your farm and the impacts that climate change are going to have on that resource are quite varied. The IPPC reports predict that heavy rainfall events and flooding are going to become more common in Scotland.

In this video, we hear from Environmental Consultant, Seamus Murphy, about the impacts of heavy rainfall for arable farmers and some of the options to mitigate these.

 
 
 

Other Useful Resources

Sign up to SEPA's Floodline - Floodline provides live flooding information and advice on how to prepare for or cope with the impacts of flooding 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. By registering, you will receive notifications when the area you live, work or travel through is at risk of flooding.  If you are aware of flooding in your area, please report it using SEPA's online 'Report-a-Flood' webpage.

The Tweed Forum's website hosts information and case studies of natural flood management work completed within the River Tweed Catchment.

Check the NFU Scotland roadmap to the rules about watercourse management for guidance as to whether you can carry out some activities along a watercourse without authorisation from SEPA.  If in doubt, you are advised to contact your local SEPA office.

Scotland's Farm Advisory Service can provide general information and guidance on natural flood management for your farm.

Scotland's Farm Advisory Service Podcasts

Natural Flood Management

Agricultural Consultant, Chris McDonald, and Tweed Forum's Collaborative Action Co-ordinator, Hugh Chalmers discuss Natural Flood Management with particular reference to the Eddleston Water Catchment.

Natural Flood Management II - Crookston Farm, Galashiels

2017 Tweed Forum River Champion, Jim Sinclair farms approximately 800 ha near Galashiels.  The farm is prone to flooding which impacts further downstream to the local town of Galashiels. Working alongside Hugh Chalmers from the Tweed Forum, Jim has invested on his farm to improve the river management on the water that runs through is farm to reduce the impact of flooding on the farm with measures such as retention ponds and planting 50 ha of woodland.

In this podcast, we hear directly from Jim about what he's done and the benefits he's seen.  Agricultural consultant Chris McDonald and Hugh Chalmers from the Tweed Forum join Jim to discuss natural flood management options and the wider benefits that they can bring.

Photo credit of works completed at Crookston Farm to Keith Robeson