Scottish superficial deposits and the water framework directive

• Main Authors: Robins, N.S., Ball, D.F., Merritt, J.W.
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: British Geological Survey 2002
• Subjects: Ice Sheet
• Online Access: http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/527439/; https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/527439/1/CR02154N.pdf

The Water Framework Directive, which entered into force in December 2000, stipulates that Member States must, for groundwater: Within 4 years – identify river basins and assign groundwater bodies to them. Characterise these groundwater bodies. Identify ‘Protected Areas’ including bodies of water which supply more than 10 m3 d-1 drinking water supply (>50 people), and identify those bodies which are at risk of not complying with the Environmental Objectives laid down in Article 4. Within 6 years – establish appropriate monitoring programmes Within 9 years – establish management plans and surveillance. Within 15 years – ensure ‘good status’ is achieved wherever possible. This includes good status of quality and of quantity ensuring a balance between recharge and discharge. The initial assessment requires an analysis of the main characteristics of each river basin, a review of the impact of human activity and an economic analysis of water use. These objectives implicitly require a review of groundwater abstraction to be carried out, both in terms of volume and use. The initial assessment also requires an evaluation of quantitative and qualitative status of each groundwater body, part of which is the evaluation of a water budget to establish if the resource is sustainable. Detailed understanding of the role of drift deposits in each catchment is, therefore, essential because of their role in influencing recharge to and protection of underlying groundwater. In addition, where sufficiently permeable and extensive, drift deposits will themselves constitute groundwater bodies. Quaternary deposits occur throughout much of Scotland. They may be of glacial, lacustrine, fluvial, aeolian or marine origin, but are usually only a few metres thick, rarely more than 30 m and exceptionally more than 180 m (e.g. at Bo’ness in the Forth valley). Most of the glacial deposition occurred during and after the last glaciation some 18 000 years BP. Detritus, or till was deposited beneath and marginal to the ice sheet, and is poorly ...