12m to 24m watercourse buffer strip on cultivated land (updated for SFI26)

What you must do

You must establish and maintain a grass strip that’s: at least 12m wide and up to 24m wide (on average in each land parcel) – it can be more than 24m wide, but you’ll only be paid for the 24m width alongside a ditch, pond, river or stream, to create a buffer between the edge of the crop or fallow land and the watercourse You must make sure the grass strip is in addition to any regulatory requirements relating to buffer strips. Once the grass strip is established, you must manage it in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim. During late summer, after the bird breeding season, you must cut part of the grass strip’s width next to the edge of the crop or fallow land. You must do this along as much of the strip’s length as possible. This is to provide some shorter vegetation and a range of habitat types. Flood risk management authorities, such as Internal Drainage Boards, may carry out flood risk management works on the grass buffer strip if it’s located in a flood risk area. Check the flood risk map and read the guidance on how to use the flood risk map. If this happens, you must repair any damage to the grass buffer strip as soon as reasonably practicable. You must not do the following on the established grass strip: allow livestock to access it use it for regular vehicular access, turning or storage (for example, storing bales or machinery) apply fertilisers or manures apply pesticides, except for herbicides to weed wipe or spot treat to control injurious weeds, invasive non-native species, nettles or bracken You can maintain an existing grass strip to get paid for this action if it: meets this action’s requirements is not already being paid for under another environmental land management scheme option, such as CS option SW4 (12m to 24m watercourse buffer strip on cultivated land)

When to do it

You must: establish the grass buffer strip within the first 12 months of this action’s duration maintain the grass buffer strip throughout each subsequent year of this action’s duration

Evidence to keep

You must keep written evidence that land entered into this action is at risk of soil erosion or surface runoff. You can use the soil management plan produced for CSAM1 or SAM1 to identify this. You must also keep evidence to show what you’ve done to complete this action, such as: field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices photographs and other documentation If it’s not clear that you’ve done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, we may ask for this evidence. You must supply the evidence if we ask for it.

SFI26 actions v2.0, updated 7 July 2026 — verified 1 Aug 2026. Open official guidance