1. Home
  2. Regulation
  3. Authorisations and compliance
  4. EASR authorisations
  5. Water activities
  6. Engineering
  7. Instream or in-loch structures

Back to Instream or in-loch structures

  • Instream structures or boulder placement in a watercourse less than or equal to 10% bed width

Instream structures or boulder placement in a watercourse less than or equal to 10% bed width

Table of contents
Select a section to jump to:
Select a section to jump to:

This General Binding Rule (GBR) applies to the installation of instream structures or the placement of one or more boulders in a watercourse less than, or equal to, 10% of the bed width.

Authorisation level

General Binding Rule (GBR)

Rules

Instream structures or the placement of boulders which occupy 10 percent or less of the bed width is covered by General Binding Rules. If you intend to carry out this activity, and you comply with the rules set out below, your activity will be authorised. You don’t need to apply to SEPA for an authorisation.

If you carry out an activity under this authorisation you must comply with the rules. It is an offence to if you do not comply with the rules.

If you cannot comply with the rules, you will need a different type of authorisation.

General Binding Rule (GBR) for instream structures or placement of boulders in a watercourse less than or equal to 10% bed width

  1. The placed boulder or boulders or the installed instream structures must not occupy—

    1. more than 10% of the bed width, or
    2. more than 10 metres of channel length.

  2. no boulder or boulders, croy or flow deflector must be placed within 20 metres of any other boulder or boulders or any structure on the bed of the river, burn or ditch,

  3. no boulder or boulders and croy or flow deflector must be placed or installed in such a way as to extend the width occupied by any structure to greater than 10% of the bed width,

  4. the tops of the boulders, and any croy or flow deflector must be submerged except during periods of low flows,

  5. any works in the wetted part of the river, burn or ditch must not be undertaken during periods in which fish are likely to be spawning in the river, burn, or ditch nor in the period between any such spawning and the subsequent emergence of the juvenile fish,

  6. all reasonable steps must be taken to ensure that the works do not result in increased erosion of the bed or banks of the river, burn or ditch,

  7. boulders and instream structures must not be placed or installed if there is a reasonable likelihood that, within 50 metres of the intended placement, there are freshwater pearl mussels,

  8. boulders and instream structures must not be placed or installed such that they prevent the free passage of migratory fish,

  9. the works must not result in the introduction of any substance or heat to the water environment which may give rise to harm to the water environment.

Help and guidance

Where relevant you must also ensure you comply with the following when undertaking this activity: