River basin districts: information and maps
Information on the three river basin districts that fall within Scotland, and maps showing their boundaries.
Scotland contains three separate river basin districts (RBDs). Maps showing their boundaries can be downloaded below.
We fund the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) to produce separate river basin management plans (RBMPs) for each RBD, to set out our objectives for their protection and improvement.
Scotland RBD
Most of Scotland falls into a single RBD that extends to a seaward limit of three nautical miles. It was created via the Scotland RBD designation order.
Solway Tweed RBD
About 70% of the Solway Tweed RBD sits within Scotland, while the other 30% sits in England. It was created via the Solway Tweed RBD regulations.
Because the Solway Tweed RBD is cross-border, SEPA produces its RBMP in collaboration with the UK's Environment Agency which is sponsored by the UK government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
We have issued joint guidance to both SEPA and the UK's Environment Agency to set out how we expect them to work together to develop the plans.
Northumbria RBD
A small fraction of the Northumbria RBD lies within Scotland, which means DEFRA must consult with SEPA when drawing up its RBMP. It was created via the Northumbria RBD regulations.
Transitional waters
Transitional waters are those found at river mouths which are party saline in nature, but also substantially affected by freshwater flows from upstream. View maps showing the limits of Scotland's estuaries.
Contact
Email: ceu@gov.scot
There is a problem
Thanks for your feedback