The Scottish Government has designated the River Ythan catchment as a
Nitrate Vulnerable Zone following concerns about the spread of algal mats in the river during the 1990s. The resulting restrictions on the use of fertilisers in the catchment were criticised by many farmers, as around 90% of the land in the catchment area is used for agriculture. However, the designation and subsequent actions to address the issue under the European Union's LIFE Fund Ythan Project have led to improvements in water quality, as an increasing number of farmers adopted techniques such as creating buffer strips between fields and the river, along with nutrient budgeting. Both the expansion of agri-environment schemes in the area and individual river restoration work undertaken under the auspices of the Ythan Project have contributed to an increase in wildlife habitat across the catchment. ==Etymology==