Agency to monitor farming water

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Climate change could leave some farmers dependent upon irrigation to water their crops, an environment watchdog has predicted.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) said that continuing dry spells could cause problems for both farmers and wildlife.

A project has been set up to examine the water supply to Scotland's farms.

Sepa plans to start monitoring a pilot area on the east coast, where the water level in some rivers is already low.

The Elliot Water near Arbroath has been chosen and monitoring will begin there in a project which is due to last until 2012.

Irrigation needs

Sepa said it was working to ensure that water resources would be distributed fairly between farmers and the environment, particularly in areas where water could be scarce. A spokesman said: "Over the next two years we will be visiting farmers to learn about irrigation needs and to develop plans which will allocate water resources fairly."

The project also aims to identify where storage may be needed to maintain water flows in small rivers.

Sepa said that farmers would be consulted throughout the process.