About SCaMP

From 2005 to 2010, United Utilities and the RSPB are working together to deliver the Sustainable Catchment Management Programme (SCaMP), a ground-breaking project that will benefit water and wildlife.

The land we own is the gathering grounds for the reservoirs which help supply more than 7 million people with their daily water needs. It is also home to some of the UK's most amazing wildlife, including the hen harrier, the curlew and the stonechat.

SCaMP Work Types

We will work with farmers and land managers, with local authorities and decision makers, with Government and other conservation organisations to influence how water catchment areas are managed and properly funded.

Work will include: 

• restoring blanket bogs by blocking drainage ditches
• restoring areas of eroded and exposed peat
• restoring hay meadows
• establishing clough woodland
• restoring heather moorland
• providing new farm buildings for indoor wintering of livestock and for lambing
• providing new waste management facilities to reduce run-off pollution of water courses
• fencing to keep livestock away from areas such as rivers and streams and from special habitats

Useful Facts

United Utilities Land Holding

• United Utilities is a major landowner in the North West Region owning around 57,000 ha
• Much of our land is specially designated for its habitat and landscape value with 17,500ha designated as sites of special scientific interest (SSSI)
• We own twice as much land as the next biggest landowning water company and over four times the average water company landholding.
• The primary reason we hold the land is to protect raw water quality
• The land is the primary source of water for 6.7 million people in the North West of England. Most of our water comes from upland surface sources so how land management affects the quality of the water is of great interest to us.
• As a regulated Utility Undertaker, we have obligations to take into account biodiversity and habitat in our approach to managing the land that we own, but we are not specifically funded for this.
• Most of our land is farmed by tenant farmers
• The SCaMP money will attract additional capital grants of over £2m. Agri-environment grant also will provide ongoing revenue grant support to tenant farmers. The mix of private money allowing access to grant funding is novel. The approach has been collaborative involving the tenant and multiple stakeholders.
• Sustainable Catchment management can meet several objectives at once as seen by SCaMP.

Sustainable Catchment Management Programme

• 20,000 hectares of land in the Trough of Bowland and the Peak District
• 45 land holdings
• 21 farms
• 13,000 hectares designated as SSSI
• 90% of land covered by SCaMP agreement
• 450 hectares of upland oak woodland to be planted, some 300,000 trees.
• 96km of moorland drains to be blocked to allow for re-wetting
• 450 hectares of bare peat to be re-vegetated
• 5,500 hectares of blanket bog restored.
• 100 scrapes created for breeding waders
• 200km of fencing to allow for moorland restoration and woodland planting.
• 9 new stock buildings to allow moorland restoration grazing regimes to be implemented.