Haining Loch: management options and water quality

Haining Loch is an integral part of the Haining Estate and a very popular beauty spot for the nearby community of Selkirk. However, it has both historically, and through to the present day, suffered from poor water quality and accompanying blue-green algal “blooms”. These blooms have a negative impact on how the appearance of the Loch as well as posing a potential hazard to human and animal health, so Tweed Forum was commissioned, in 2010, by the Estate managers to investigate water quality and potential management options for Haining Loch.

Initial investigations by the Forum confirmed, in partnership with the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (Edinburgh), poor water quality and a high density of blue-green algae, the anecdotal evidence for historically poor water quality from various documents, potential current contributors to poor water quality and the very likely low rate of “flushing” (water flowing into and back out) of the Loch due to small catchment size and a poorly modified outflow.

As well as this analysis of the issues facing the Loch, various management options were proposed, including the need for more data to improve the chances of any given restoration measure(s) succeeding. It is likely that any restoration effort will take time to come to fruition, and it may be that a multifaceted approach is required, but creating a safer and healthier Haining Loch is an important component of managing the wider