These data identify the compliance of Welsh river Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) regarding targets for eight water quality attributes: Phosphorus, Dissolved Oxygen, Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Total Ammonia, Unionised Ammonia, Trophic Diatom Index, pH and Acid Neutralising Capacity.

The targets and methods of assessment are set at a UK level by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee as published in the Common Standards Guidance for Rivers 2016, and form part of the conservation objectives for the riverine SAC features.

There are nine SACs in Wales with riverine features (known in their respective Core Management Plans as):

• River Dee and Bala Lake

• Afon Gwyrfai a Llyn Cwellyn

• Coedydd Derw a Safleoedd Ystlumod Meirion (Afon Glaslyn)

• Afon Eden - Cors Goch Trawsfynydd

• Afon Teifi

• Afonydd Cleddau

• Afon Tywi

• River Usk

• River Wye

For the purposes of water quality reporting, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) divides rivers into units called water bodies. A total of 119 (of a possible 127) water bodies, each with a single sampling point, were assessed for one or more attribute. The River Dee and Wye were assessed in the Welsh part of the SAC only.

Water quality data collected by NRW’s routine surveillance monitoring programme for a four-year period (1st January 2020 – 31st December 2023) were extracted from the NRW water quality database (KiWQM) to assess compliance with targets.

Data was not available for all attributes for all water bodies due to the risk-based design of NRW’s monitoring programmes. For attributes/waterbodies with insufficient data to determine compliance over the period 2020-2023, but where a result was produced in the previous assessment (using 2017-2019 data), the previous result has been rolled forward.

All data was subject to robust quality assurance processes. Data collection and analysis methodologies were undertaken in line with NRW’s standard guidance. Full methods are presented in the accompanying report.

Attribution Statement 

Contains Natural Resources Wales information © Natural Resources Wales and Database Right. All rights Reserved. Contains Ordnance Survey Data. Ordnance Survey Licence number AC0000849444. Crown Copyright and Database Right.

Use this data in another application

Please refer to the licence to understand the conditions of using this data.

OWS endpoints

Spatial data (9)

Spatial data download
  • Wye nutrient neutrality for Phosphorous catchments upstream of failing waterbody

    No abstract provided

  • Trophic Diatom Index

    No abstract provided

  • Biochemical Oxygen Demand

    No abstract provided

  • Dissolved Oxygen

    No abstract provided

  • PH

    No abstract provided

  • Total Ammonia

    No abstract provided

  • Phosphate

    No abstract provided

  • Unionised Ammonia

    No abstract provided

  • Acid Neutralisation Capacity

    No abstract provided

Metadata download

Maps using this data (0)

Display in map viewer

Or display data on an existing map

Type:
Spatial data
Category:
Environment

Environmental resources, protection and conservation. Examples: environmental pollution, waste storage and treatment, environmental impact assessment, monitoring environmental risk, nature reserves, landscape

Find more data in this category

Publication date:
Licence:
Open Government Licence for Public Sector Information (OGL)

Read more about this licence

Copyright:

None

Point of contact:
Language
English
Read full metadata