Scotland’s
rivers are mostly unpolluted - 92% were classified as good or very good
condition by SEPA in 1996. As clean river
water
is
very important for Scotland’s industries, tourism and recreation if the river
has not been managed well, good water quality will be lost.
There is a wide range of threats to river habitats in Scotland: flood control,
land drainage work, erosion control, culverting, straightening field boundaries,
ploughing and spraying river banks and heavy grazing by cattle and sheep;
which will not allow
the angler good fishing or protection of the wildlife in and on our rivers.
It
is important, therefore, to protect river beds and banks, as well as the quality
of the water, if we want to ensure that Scotland keeps its high quality river
environments for generations to come.
