Supporting guidance for Water Margins in Arable Fields and Water Margins in Grassland Fields

This is an old version of the page

Date published: 11 December, 2015

Date superseded: 23 December, 2016

To see recent changes to this guidance, check the bottom of this page.

A water margin is an area of uncultivated land next to a ditch, burn, river, pond or loch.

It will protect water from pollutants such as soil, nutrients, pesticides and animal manures. It can also provide valuable wildlife habitat and a corridor for wildlife to move along.

You can manage water margins as areas of grassland or they can contain trees and shrubs or other habitats, such as wetlands (land saturated with water).

These options are for managing water margins next to arable or grassland fields, but not for water margins next to woodland.