Nitrate Vulnerable Zones
Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) are areas within Scotland that contain surface water or groundwater that is susceptible to nitrate pollution from agricultural activities. They are designated in accordance with the requirements of the European Commision's Nitrates Directive 91/676/EEC, aims to protect water quality across Europe by preventing nitrates from agricultural sources polluting ground and surface waters and by promoting the use of good farming practices. The Scottish Government is responsible for maintaining and improving the quality of the aquatic environment, and carries out a review of the NVZ areas every four years. In 2016, five areas of Scotland were designated as NVZs under the following regulations: The Designation of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (Scotland) Regulations 2014 (SSI 2014/373). The five NVZ areas were designated as nitrate levels from agricultural sources either resulted, or would likely result, in a concentration equal or exceeding 50 milligrammes of nitrate per litre of water in either surface water or groundwater. The five areas within Scotland, currently designated as NVZs, are: Aberdeenshire, Banff, Buchan and Moray, Strathmore and Fife, Stranraer Lowlands, Edinburgh, East Lothian and Borders, and Lower Nithsdale.
NVZs were most recently reviewed in 2017 and it was concluded that no changes to the data were required.
Default
Identification info
- Alternative title
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NVZ
- Metadata Language
- English
- Character set
- UTF8
- Dataset Reference Date (Creation)
- 2002-07-01
- Dataset Reference Date (Revision)
- 2016-11-16
- Identifier
- www.gov.scot / SG_NitrateVulnerableZones
- Presentation form
- Digital map
- Maintenance and update frequency
- As needed
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GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0
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Area management/restriction/regulation zones and reporting units
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IPSV Subjects List
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Water pollution
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Environmental monitoring
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- Limitations on Public Access
- Other restrictions
- Other constraints
- No limitations to public access
- Use constraints
- Other restrictions
- Other constraints
- Open Government Licence
- Other constraints
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The following attribution statement must be used to acknowledge the source of the information: Copyright Scottish Government, contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right (insert year)
- Spatial representation type
- Vector
- Denominator
- 10000
- Topic category
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- Environment
- Farming
- Code
- S92000003
))
Temporal reference
Temporal extent
Temporal extent
- Code
- EPSG:4258
- Code
- EPSG:27700
Distribution Information
Data format
- Data format
-
Name Version WMS
1.3.0
WFS
2.0.0
ESRI REST
1.0
ESRI Shapefile
1.0
Transfer options
- Resource Locator
-
Protocol Resource Locator Name OGC:WMS
https://maps.gov.scot/server/services/ScotGov/AgricultureEnvironment/MapServer/WMSServer? NitrateVulnerableZones
OGC:WFS
https://maps.gov.scot/server/services/ScotGov/AgricultureEnvironment/MapServer/WFSServer? AE:NitrateVulnerableZones
WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link
https://maps.gov.scot/server/rest/services/ScotGov/AgricultureEnvironment/MapServer/5 Nitrate Vulnerable Zones
WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-http--download
https://maps.gov.scot/ATOM/shapefiles/SG_NitrateVulnerableZones_2016.zip Nitrate Vulnerable Zones
Data quality info
- Quality Scope
- Dataset
- Statement
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The Nitrate Vulnerable Zone boundaries were delineated by the Geographic Information Science and Analysis Team (GI-SAT) on behalf of the Environmental Quality Division. The first step was to look at the previous NVZ boundaries from 2002 and compare them with ground water body data from BGS and Scottish Water. This information was used to produce a first draft of the new boundaries, which were then clipped to field boundaries and put out to consultation. Following responses amendments were made and also consideration of estimated borehole catchment from Scottish Water. Next, boundaries were re-adjusted to fields and the mean high water spring (unless fields fell below the mean high water spring). An amendment was made to the River Nith and Lochar Water, such that field and mean high water boundaries are followed further up the estuary.
Metadata
- File identifier
- 0bcbd0ce-05e7-4ea3-9cd9-3699cb7a5894 XML
- Metadata Language
- English
- Resource type
- Dataset
- Metadata Date
- 2023-11-21T15:50:17
- Metadata standard name
- UK GEMINI
- Metadata standard version
-
2.3
Point of contact
- Individual name
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GI-SAT
- Organisation name
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Scottish Government
- Position name
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Geographic Information Science and Analysis Team
- Delivery point
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Victoria Quay
- City
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Edinburgh
- Postal code
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EH6 6QQ
- Country
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United Kingdom
- Electronic mail address
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GI-SAT@gov.scot SAT@gov.sco GI-SAT@gov.scot
- Role
- Point of contact