Tweed Catchment Management Plan

The plan identifies specific objectives, targets and actions, for each of the Strategic Aims:

1. Water Quality: maintain and enhance the water quality of the Tweed catchment

• Locate, investigate and address specific water quality problem areas within the catchment
• Monitor, evaluate and address the impact of agriculture, forestry and plastics on water quality in the catchment
• Minimise the impact of residential and industrial development on the water quality of the catchment

1. Water Resources: manage levels and flow to the needs of the natural environment

• Consider the needs of the environment alongside those of all other water users

1. Habitats & Species: maintain and enhance the status and distribution of riverine, riparian and wetland species

• Ensure access to data on riverine, wetland and riparian habitats and species to inform sustainable management practices
• Promote the restoration of ecosystems, ecosystem function and ecosystem services to help mitigate, where relevant, the climate and biodiversity crises
• Monitor and control the introduction and establishment of non-native riverine and riparian species and where appropriate control or eradicate established populations

1. Physical Condition - restore modified/ impacted channels and ensure all river engineering operations respect the physical, ecological and aesthetic integrity of the river system

• Improve understanding of the impact of river engineering works and seek to address degraded stretches

1. Flood Risk Management: adopt a catchment-based approach to flood risk management which helps protect the people, property and prosperity of the Tweed catchment whilst respecting its physical, ecological and aesthetic qualities

• Improve knowledge, understanding and awareness of flood risk management issues within the Tweed catchment
• Encourage Sustainable Flood Management, where appropriate
• Evaluate and address the impact of land management practices on the frequency and intensity of flood events

1. Tourism & Recreation: promote the sustainable development of river-related tourism and recreation and protect cultural heritage and landscapes

• Support tourism and recreation activities which promote good practice, deliver multiple benefits and do not come into conflict with other aims and objectives set out in this document
• Promote and establish tourism and recreational activities based on the built, natural and cultural heritage of the Tweed and its tributaries

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The plan is ongoing, from 2023 to 2028.

• Ongoing monitoring and review of the Tweed CMP is vital to its success . The majority of the actions cannot be set in stone: as some actions and targets are achieved, others will be changing, requiring a truly responsive and dynamic process and an adaptive management approach. Tweed Forum has carried out reviews at appropriate timescales and ensured that all partners and participants concerned with implementation activities have been involved. As part of the review process, progress towards targets/actions is monitored, priorities for action re-examined, additional actions and targets included where appropriate and key funding requirements identified.
• There are several cross-cutting themes which influence the Tweed CMP. These cross- cutting themes, by their very nature, do not sit within a single given area of the CMP and must be woven into each and every element of the CMP and its processes. Chief amongst these themes are the need to progress actions addressing the climate and biodiversity crises, the adoption of an Ecosystem Approach (including enhanced engagement with stakeholders), the growing importance of the Natural Capital agenda and the need for a coherent land use strategy.
• The climate crisis and its likely impacts on the freshwater environment is probably the single, most important issue for freshwater management in the UK. It is now universally recognised that building climate resilience - taking prior action to prepare habitats, species, farming and land management practices for rapid environmental change and more extreme weather events, in tandem with action to reduce levels of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere - is a key element in reducing the impacts of the climate emergency.
• The £25+ million Destination Tweed project focuses on the development of a world-class, source-to-sea trail, but also includes a range of projects that cut across 4 of the 6 core aims of the CMP. Central to the portfolio is the theme of connectivity, and cause and effect; the project recognises that in managing an entity such as a river, there is a need to act at the catchment scale, with many of the issues connected. The project seeks to address the causes of issues, rather than just the symptoms; and to create a more sustainable and resilient landscape for the future.

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Over the next five years, the Tweed Catchment Management Plan partners will continue working towards delivering the actions set out within the Plan.