Water governance at Loch Leven, Scotland

Loch Leven has supplied water to downstream industry since the early 1700s. The water is used as a source of power generation, for cooling, or in the manufacturing processes themselves (Munro, 1994). By the 1820s, there were 40 such industries downstream of the loch. These included corn mills, sawmills, paper mills, textile mills and bleaching fields. As these industries expanded, water shortages started to occur, especially during the summer months. It was, therefore, concluded that the water discharged from the loch needed to be managed more effectively to support the growth of these industries, and the jobs and income that they provided for the local community.