# The Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021, Paragraph 23: Soil protection measures


(1) The occupier must protect all soil by ensuring that all land is covered by crops, stubbles, residues or other vegetation at all times, except where establishing such cover would create a significant risk of soil erosion and significant risk of nitrogen and phosphorus getting into surface water.
(2) Where land has been harvested using a combine harvester, forage harvester or mower, the occupier must ensure that, throughout the relevant period beginning with the first day after harvest and ending with 31 December 2024, one of the following conditions is met on that land at all times—
(a) the stubble of the harvested crop remains in the land, or
(b) the land is prepared as a seedbed for a crop or temporary cover crop within 14 days of harvest, beginning with the first day after harvest, and—
(i) the crop, or temporary cover crop, is sown within a period of 10 days beginning with the day after final seedbed preparation, or
(ii) if sowing within that 10-day period would lead to significant risk of soil erosion, and nitrogen or phosphorus entering a surface water, the crop, or temporary cover crop, is sown as soon as is practicable after the land ceases to be waterlogged.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2021/77/schedule/1A/paragraph/23 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/water-resources-control-of-agricultural-pollution-wales-regulations-2021/schedule-1A/paragraph-23
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.