A joint initiative between SEPA and the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute has resulted in the publication of a Water Quality Atlas for Scottish rivers. Under the Harmonised Monitoring Scheme, SEPA monitors and reports on the quality of the water in 56 Scottish rivers. SEPA and its predecessor organisations have monitored these rivers since the mid 1970s, producing data that provides an invaluable record of environmental status and change in Scotland.

Staff from the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute undertook some analysis on the Scottish Harmonised Monitoring Data in conjunction with SEPA and this analysis of the records supports two main conclusions:

• Climate change is already having an effect on Scottish rivers, with water temperatures increasing in rivers across Scotland and river flow increasing in some places.
• Stewardship of Scotland’s water environment is working and improvements in water quality have been delivered treatment and changes in agricultural practice

Next steps

This assessment demonstrates the great value of long-term environmental monitoring in identifying and characterising the state and changing state of the environment. It is crucial that we maintain and develop such monitoring and that we do so in conjunction with other science and research providers and other stakeholders as part of a shared approach to environmental stewardship.

The full atlas is available electronically.