Ythan Project - Sustainable land management in the Ythan catchment, Scotland

The project aimed to introduce measures to help reduce inputs of various pollutants to the Ythan estuary, to enhance the rivers ecological status and to provide a model of best practice for the involvement of local communities in these issues. This aim was reached through: organising public events to attract a wide range of people from the local community and raise awareness; collecting Water Quality Data over a 3-year period, involving local people in the sampling at 8 sites and in 50 river habitat surveys; establishing 2 demonstration farms to illustrate the benefits of agri-environment schemes and nutrient budgeting; designing Nutrient Budgeting software aimed at farmers (including training courses for the framers); developing buffer strips by encouraging farmers to join the Rural Stewardship Scheme; producing water management plans for farms adjacent to water courses; improving the rivers riparian environment; monitoring the physical and biological condition of the river and estuary and social attitudes to the river.