The aim of the Tarland Catchment Initiative (TCI) is to advise and implement an objective strategy for the sustainable use of the catchment and to improve the quality of the catchment’s water resources, their adjacent banks and the habitats that they can support and to develop sustainable flood management strategies. All of these elements will involve the participation and involvement of the local communities and land managers. The initial focus of the TCI is to reduce the concentrations of suspended soil sediments and coliform bacteria in the selected streams.

Improvements in the water quality of the Tarland Burn and its tributaries and the diversity of the catchments habitats will be achieved through a new wastewater treatment plant and enhanced adjacent wetland area, demonstration flood alleviation works and the use of buffer strips and small buffering wetlands to trap nutrients and silt in field run-off.

Flood management techniques developed through 3 Dee Vision will complement the biodiversity and ecological improvements promoted through the project.