Restoring Acid Waters: Loch Fleet 1984–1990

Introduction, general principles and objectives. Acidification and liming in context. Soil/water acidification and the potential for reversibility. The history of Loch Fleet fishery and fresh water quality for fish and other aquatic fauna. Site conditions and characteristics. Selection of a site for restoration. Deposition input considerations. Hydrological considerations. Shallow flow pathways or pre-event water? Interactions between rain, vegetation and soils. Liming design and practice. Liming design and strategy at Loch Fleet. Alternatives to catchment lining. Effects of liming. Soils of acid catchments before and after liming. Water quality of surface waters before and after liming. Fishery restoration after liming. Other aquatic biology: flora and fauna. Terrestrial biology in limed catchments. General issues. Targets and timescales of liming treatments. Some general issues and conclusions.