A key element of the WFD is River Basin Management Planning. This requires that all stakeholders (e.g., industry, regulators, landowners) participate in planning to ensure the protection of the water environment. A River Basin Management Plan to achieve “Good Ecological Status” for Scotland by 2015 must be produced by SEPA by 2009.

Following the SEPA consultation on River Basin Management Planning Strategy, it is likely that Scotland will be one river basin district sub divided into 8 planning areas. The major catchments in each of these planning areas will then require a catchment management plan to address the issues in that catchment. Through this process, an integrated approach to water management, involving all stakeholders in improving the water environment will occur.

The Dee is part of the North East River Basin District. SEPA are already supporting a River Dee Catchment Management Plan which is expected to form part of the River Basin plan for the north east. The 3 Dee Vision Project addresses several of the actions in the Dee CMP, hence it is directly relevant to the implementation of the WFD. The Dee Catchment Management Plan engages all major stakeholders on Deeside and its work will contribute towards the development of a river basin management plan for the area in accordance with the requirements of the Water Framework Directive.