Water-use Efficiency – Irrigation Lagoon
Date published: 14 February, 2024
For recent changes to this guidance, please see the bottom of the page.
Aim
The aim of this item is to improve water-use efficiency by collecting and storing water in an irrigation lagoon. This will also help to protect water quality at times of low water availability due to low river flows.
Eligibility
The land must be within a catchment which drains to water bodies that are significantly impacted because of abstraction for agriculture.
This item can stand alone or be part of a wider application. Standalone irrigation applications will be assessed on their own merits and against other standalone irrigation lagoon applications if budget pressures constrain our ability to approve applications.
Standalone Irrigation Lagoon applications (lagoon and underground drainage only) must be submitted in the period 15 February 2024 to 19 April 2024. Successful applications will receive contracts from May 2024 onwards.
Applications for Irrigation Lagoons that also include AECS management proposals should be submitted in the main Agri-Environment window 1 February to 10 June 2024.
Spatial targeting
You can check if this option is available on your holding using the search targeting tool which can be found on any of the following AECS guidance pages:
Application requirements
- You must produce a diffuse pollution steading assessment if the lagoon will be filled from water collected from steading roofs.
- If the lagoon is distant from the steading and not filled from water collected at a steading then there is no need for a diffuse pollution steading assessment, although you must provide full detail of how the lagoon is to be filled.
- The application must also contain details of the crops to be irrigated and any existing water storage facilities that are used for irrigation purposes.
- You must hold an abstraction licence from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency
the lagoon must be off-line (i.e. there should be no impounding works which hold back flows in wetlands, rivers, lochs and estuaries). - You must obtain planning permission, or have confirmation that planning permission is not required for your proposed lagoon.
- Where a proprietary lining is used, a receipt for the liner will be required.
Payment
Irrigation lagoon
The maximum payment for this option is restricted to £40,000 per business:
- £2.94 per cubic metre without a proprietary liner
- £8.20 per cubic metre with a proprietary liner
Collection of run-off from farm steading roofs:
- underground drainage – £35.46 linear metre
Inspections
The inspectors will check:
- the location and extent of any irrigation lagoon
- that you have a receipt for a proprietary liner
- the length in metres of drainage to the lagoon
- the lagoon is offline and there are no impounding works which hold back flows in wetlands, rivers, lochs and estuaries
Additional guidance
Recent changes
Section | Change |
---|---|
Eligibility |
Added text: This item can stand alone or be part of a wider application. Standalone irrigation applications will be assessed on their own merits and against other standalone irrigation lagoon applications if budget pressures constrain our ability to approve applications. Standalone Irrigation Lagoon applications (lagoon and underground drainage only) must be submitted in the period 15 February 2024 to 19 April 2024. Successful applications will receive contracts from May 2024 onwards. Applications for Irrigation Lagoons that also include AECS management proposals should be submitted in the main Agri-Environment window 1 February to 10 June 2024. |
Application Requirements |
You must produce a diffuse pollution steading assessment if the lagoon will be filled from water collected from steading roofs. If the lagoon is distant from the steading and not filled from water collected at a steading then there is no need for a diffuse pollution steading assessment, although you must provide full detail of how the lagoon is to be filled. The application must also contain details of the crops to be irrigated and any existing water storage facilities that are used for irrigation purposes. |
Payment |
The maximum payment for this option is restricted to £40,000 per business: - £2.94 per cubic metre without a proprietary liner - £8.20 per cubic metre with a proprietary liner |
Previous versions
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