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Managing water

Well-managed forest and woodland provide many benefits for the water environment, but we need to ensure effective management to mitigate any potential impacts.

Last updated: 30 June 2026

Topic: Forest management and planning , Forest resilience , Water, hydrology and flooding

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Guidance, resources and tools

Browse a range of documents and tools for further guidance on good water management in forests.

On-site tools
Know the rules booklet 2nd edition	A guidance booklet helping you to keep on the right side of the rules, reduce diffuse pollution risk and improve forestry practice.
Know the rules booklet (larger sized guidance)	A4 sheets of the same guidance that is given in the Know the Rules booklet.
FAQS on Know the Rules booklet and cab sticker	More information on who these tools are aimed for, their objectives and legal context.

Guidance
Managing forestry operations to protect private water supplies	New guidance has been published by Scottish Forestry, which supersedes the 2018 guidance produced by Forest and Water Scotland Initiative.
Managing forest operations to protect the water environment - 2nd ed 2025	This second edition has been published to align the guidance provided with the 5th edition of the UK Forestry Standard. The Guide is supported by a fold-out ‘cab card’ for operators which illustrates key points of good practice.
Management of Hylobius	Guidance for using insecticides in forestry to manage the large pine weevil and protect the water environment.
Regulation changes for surface water run-off from specific forestry activities	Guidance on forest road construction and other forestry activities which now require a CAR licence from SEPA.
Ground water dependent terrestrial ecosystems	Practical guidance to help forest managers identify GWDTEs and assess whether woodland creation operations would damage them.
Management of Forestry Waste	This document provides guidance on the Management of Forestry Waste, in particular, the circumstances in which SEPA would expect waste legislation to apply to materials arising from forestry operations.
Forestry activities near SW assets	This guidance outlines precautions that Scottish Water would like to see met when forestry activities are undertaken in source water catchments and areas that contain public drinking water infrastructure (assets).
The Role of Productive Woodlands in Water Management	The benefits of woodland for water are increasingly being recognised and influencing approaches to woodland creation. This publication was produced by Confor and Forest Research.
Managing forests in acid sensitive water catchments	A Forestry Commission Practice Guide.
Woodland measures for meeting Water Framework Directive objectives	Forest Research Monograph 4.
River crossings	Engineering in the water environment: good practice guide for River Crossings.
Protecting the Environment during Mechanised Harvesting Operations	Best practice can minimise the risk of environmental damage during harvesting operations on soft ground. This may increase operational costs but can be justified by the need to protect soils and prevent erosion and subsequent siltation within watercourses. The selection of preventive rather than ‘first aid’ methods should be encouraged.

Web resources

Riparian woodlands and water protection

Riparian woodlands are those found in association with streams, rivers and lakes. They occupy a variable area along these water bodies, depending on slope and the size of the water body. This position means that they can exert a strong influence on the nature of the water environment and help to protect or buffer it from activities on the adjacent land.

Read about riparian woodlands and water protection (Forest Research website)

Actually leads to 'Creating and managing riparian woodland' on the Forest Research website - can't find the doc above!

Water Environment Regulations 2011

This practical guide to the regulations is regularly updated, and is currently on version 8.2, published in February 2018.

The Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 (legislation.gov.uk)

Think the guidance has changed, link no longer works at Sepa - can replace with updated one, after you confirm.

Managing water

Contents

Guidance, resources and tools

Web resources

Riparian woodlands and water protection

Water Environment Regulations 2011

More questions?

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Managing water

Contents

Guidance, resources and tools

Web resources

Riparian woodlands and water protection

Water Environment Regulations 2011

More questions?

Forest operations or woodland creation plans

Water regulations

Need further information or hard copies

How to report a pollution incident

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