UK Biodiversity Indicator B7, Surface water status

This spreadsheet is the underlying data for the biodiversity indicator B7, Surface water status. Surface waters with good status support a diverse assemblage of aquatic invertebrates, fish, mammals and birds. The EU Water Framework Directive aims to improve and integrate the way water bodies are managed throughout Europe. Member States aim to reach good chemical and ecological status in inland and coastal waters by 2027 at the latest. The UK is striving to improve and protect the condition of the water environment, and objectives to improve and protect each water body have been set, as well as measures defined to ensure the objectives are met. The Water Framework Directive (WFD) is an important mechanism for assessing and managing the water environment in the EU, through a six yearly cycle of planning and implementing measures to protect and improve the water environment. The indicator shows the percentage of surface water bodies in each status class and the change in the percentage of water bodies in the UK awarded a good or high surface water status class under the WFD between 2010 and 2015. Over 10,300 water bodies were assessed in each year of the indicator; including rivers, canals, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters. This is one of a suite of 24 UK biodiversity indicators published by JNCC on behalf of Defra; the latest publication date was 19 January 2016 - for indicator B7 the latest data are for 2015. The supporting technical document details the methodology used to create the indicator.